r-NRLF 


UR 


NATIVE  BIRDS 


GIFT  OF 
A.   P.   Morrison 


BIOLOQY 
LIBRARY 


OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS 

HOW  TO  PROTECT  THEM  AND  ATTRACT 
THEM  TO  OUR  HOMES 


OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS 


HOW  TO  PROTECT  THEM  AND  ATTRACT 
THEM  TO  OUR  HOMES 


BY 


D.  LANGE 
u 

AUTHOR  OF  "  HANDBOOK  OF  NATURE  STUDY  " 

INSTRUCTOR  IN  NATURE  STUDY  IN  THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS 

OF  ST.  PAUL,  MINNESOTA 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Nefo  gorfe 
THE   MACMILLAN    COMPANY 

LONDON:  MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  LTD. 
1906 

All  rights  reserved 


BIOLOGY 
LIBRARY 


COPYKIGHT,  1899, 

BY  THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Set  up  and  electrotyped.     Published  November,  1899. 
New  edition  September,  1906. 


GIFT 


J.  8.  Cashing  &  Co.  —  Berwick  &  Smith  Co. 
Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


PREFACE 

IN  the  following  pages  an  effort  has  been  made  to 
point  out  several  means  for  bird  protection  which  can- 
not be  embodied  in  legal  enactments.  We  are  always 
ready  to  pass  a  law  against  an  evil,  but  too  often  we 
provide  insufficient  means  to  carry  out  and  enforce  the 
provisions  of  the  law.  This,  I  regret  to  state,  is  the 
greatest  obstacle  to  the  effective  legal  protection  of 
song  birds,  game  birds,  and  mammals.  If  the  friends 
of  birds  and  nature  do  not  tire  in  the  good  work  of 
educating  the  young  of  the  nation  on  these  subjects, 
the  time  will  come  when  game  wardens  will  have  much 
less  to  do  than  now.  Education  works  slow,  but  it  is 
effective. 

My  thanks  are  due  to  Mr.  William  T.  Hornaday  for 
permission  to  quote  from  his  most  interesting  and  val- 
uable report  on  "  The  Destruction  of  our  Birds  and 
Mammals  "  made  to  the  New  York  Zoological  Society, 
and  published  by  that  society  in  its  second  annual 
report.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  B.  Davenport  of  Brattleboro, 
Vermont,  has  contributed  from  her  long  experience  to 
the  chapter  on  Feeding  Birds  in  Winter,  and  Mr. 
Frank  Bond  of  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  describes  his  very 


VI 


PREFACE 


effective  method  of  dealing  with  the  English  sparrow. 
My  thanks  are  also  due  to  several  friends  who  have 
made  valuable  suggestions  to  me.  The  pen-and-ink 
drawings  were  made  by  Mr.  Herman  Giehler  of  St. 
Paul,  Minnesota. 

The  special  Bird  Day  matter,  it  is  hoped,  will  be 
found  useful  in  schools. 

I  should  be  glad  to  hear  from  any  one  who  may  try 
to  protect  and  attract  birds  by  the  methods  and  devices 
recommended,  or  who  may  have  new  methods  and  de- 
vices to  communicate.  I  hope  that  in  the  near  future 
our  State  Agricultural  Experiment  Stations  will  pay 
more  attention  to  the  relation  of  birds  to  our  homes 
and  to  farming  and  gardening,  and  to  the  study  of  the 
best  means  for  protecting  them. 

D.  LANGE. 
ST.  PAUL,  MINNESOTA, 
September,  1899. 


CONTENTS 

SECTION  I 

PAGE 

ARE  THE  BIRDS  DECREASING? 1 

SECTION  H 
CAUSES  OF  THE  DECREASE  OF  SONG  BIRDS         ...        6 

SECTION  HI 
THE  DECREASE  OF  GAME  BIRDS  ......      13 

SECTION  IV 

PROTECTING  SONG  BIRDS  AND  ATTRACTING  THEM  TO  OUR 

HOMES 19 

CHAPTER  I 

By  furnishing  them  Trees,  Vines,  and  Shrubs.  Flowers 
for  Hummingbirds.  General  Suggestions  for  Tree- 
planting  for  Birds.  Rural  Schools  and  Nature  .  .  19 

CHAPTER  II 

Provide  Nesting-boxes.  Do  not  cut  down  every  Hollow 
Tree 33 

CHAPTER  HI 

Provide  Drinking  and  Bathing  Fountains         ,       •       .      42 

vtt 


yiii  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  IV 

PAGE 

Feeding  Birds  in  Winter,  and  in  Unfavorable  Weather  at 
Other  Seasons 46 

CHAPTER  V 
.Miscellaneous.    Dust  Baths,  Gravel,  and  Lime         .        .      62 

CHAPTER  VI 
Protecting  the  Birds  from  their  Natural  Enemies     .        .      64 

CHAPTER  VH 
The  English  Sparrow  Question 72 

CHAPTER  VIII 

Birds  on  Hats,  Boys,  Collectors,  So-called  Bird  Students, 
Bird  Hunters,  Ubiquitous  Gunners       ....      81 

CHAPTER  IX 
Song  Birds  as  Food 90 

SECTION  V 
EDUCATION  AND  THE  BIRDS 92 

CHAPTER  X 
Educating  Adult* 92 

CHAPTER  XI 
Educating  the  Growing  Generation 96 

SECTION  VI 
BIRDS  BEFORE  UNCLE  SAM  .  .     99 


CONTENTS  IX 

SECTION  VH 

PAGE 

GAME  PROTECTION  FROM  THE  NATURE  LOVER'S  POINT  OF 

VIEW 126 

SECTION  VTEI 
MISCELLANEOUS  INFORMATION 144 


I  plead 

For  flowers,  smiling  fairies  of  the  ground ; 
For  birds,  on  wings  and  breezes  skyward  bound  ; 
For  trees,  the  lofty  spires  of  hills  we  roam  ; 
For  beasts,  still  persecuted  in  their  forest  home. 


OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS 

HOW  TO  PROTECT  THEM  AND  ATTRACT 
THEM  TO  OUR  HOMES 


OTJR  NATIVE  BIRDS 


SECTION  I     A  i 

ARE  THE  BIRDS  DECREASING 


ABOUT  a  year  ago  Mr.  William  T.  Hornaday  com- 
piled what  might  be  termed  the  first  bird  census  of 
the  United  States.1  He  sent  the  following  set  of 
questions  to  a  number  of  persons  in  every  state  and 
territory,  excepting  Alaska  :  — 

1.  Are  birds  decreasing  in  your  locality  ? 

2.  About  how  many  are  there  now  in   comparison 
with    the    number    fifteen    years   ago  ?     One-half   as 
many?  one-third?  one-fourth? 

3.  What  agency,  or   class  of  men,  has  been  most 
destructive  to  the  birds  of  your  locality? 

4.  What  important  species  of  birds  or  quadrupeds 
are  becoming  extinct  in  your  state? 

The  answers  received  to  those  questions  and  the 
conclusions  drawn  from  them  must,  on  the  whole,  be 
accepted  as  trustworthy.  The  following  states  reported 

1  "The  Destruction  of  our  Birds  and  Mammals,."  by  W.  T.  Horna- 
day. In  the  "Second  Keport  of  the  New  York  Zoological  Society," 
New  York,  1898.  Office  of  the  Society,  69  Wall  Street.  The  most 
valuable  document  ever  published  on  the  subject. 

B  1 


OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS 


a  decrease   of  bird  life  varying  from  10  per   cent   in 
Nebraska  to  77  per  cent  in  Florida,  namely  :  — 


Arkansas,                     50  per 
District  of  Columbia,  33    " 

Connecticut/  l 

:  :Fjori(jv^  vtti  :    ; 

1-175 

u 

<( 
It 
(( 
(I 
(( 
<( 
« 
u 
u 

4V 
38 
60 
75 
37 
55 
52 
27 
23 

Idaho, 
Illinois, 
Indiana, 
Indian  Territory, 
Iowa, 
Louisiana, 
Maine, 
Massachusetts, 
Michigan, 

cent 


Mississippi, 

37 

per  cent 

Missouri, 

36 

« 

M 

Montana, 

75 

« 

« 

New  Hampshire, 

32 

tt 

« 

New  Jersey, 

37 

u 

M 

New  York, 

48 

« 

U 

Nebraska, 

10 

u 

It 

North  Dakota, 

58 

« 

tt 

Ohio, 

38 

u 

« 

Pennsylvania, 

51 

« 

tt 

Rhode  Island, 

60 

« 

" 

South  Carolina, 

32 

(( 

(( 

Texas, 

67 

u 

U 

Vermont, 

30 

« 

tt 

Wisconsin, 

40 

(( 

tt 

These  states  and  territories  comprise  about  three- 
fifths  of  the  whole  United  States,  and  this  vast  area 
shows  an  average  decrease  of  46  per  cent. 

The  states  of  North  Carolina,  Oregon,  and  California 
reported  that  there  were  as  many  birds  as  fifteen  years 
ago. 

Four  states  —  Kansas,  Wyoming,  Utah,  and  Wash- 
ington —  reported  that  bird  life  was  increasing. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  Minnesota,  South  Dakota, 
Arizona,  Tennessee,  Kentucky,  West  Virginia,  Ala- 
bama, Nevada,  Delaware,  Maryland,  and  the  Dominion 
of  Canada  were  not  included  in  this  report. 

The  questions  sent  out  refer  to  game  birds  as  well  as 
to  song  birds.  A  large  decrease  in  aquatic  birds  is  to 
be  expected  and  cannot  be  prevented  when  a  new 


ARE   THE   BIRDS   DECREASING  3 

country  is  settled,  or  when  the  population  increases  in 
an  old  country.  The  gallinaceous  game  birds,  like 
grouse,  partridge,  and  quail,  should  not  decrease  in  a 
farming  district,  unless  they  are  hunted  during  the 
closed  season,  or  hunted  too  much  during  the  open  sea- 
son.1 It  is  quite  likely  that  want  of  water  may  also 
cause  a  scarcity  of  these  birds. 

Admitting  that  a  general  decrease  in  game  birds  was 
to  be  expected  under  the  game  laws  as  they  have  been 
enacted  and  enforced  in  these  states,  it  is  a  deplorable 
fact  that  the  song  birds  have  also  greatly  decreased. 

For  Minnesota  I  make  the  following  estimate  based 
on  my  own  observations  and  on  that  of  others  :  Cat- 
birds, brown  thrushes,  meadow  larks,  kingbirds,  rose- 
breasted  grosbeaks,  swallows,  swifts,  red-headed  wood- 
peckers, blue  jays,  and  quails  have  increased.  This 
increase  is  particularly  noticeable  in  the  case  of  the  last 
six.  In  the  spring  of  1898,  I  often  heard  two  rose- 
breasted  grosbeaks  sing  near  the  corner  of  Seventh 
Street  and  Maria  Avenue,  St.  Paul,  where  an  electric  car 
passes  at  least  every  three  minutes.  Pinnated  grouse, 
or  prairie-chickens,  and  partridges  have  decreased. 

Ducks  in  general  have  decreased  on  account  of  the 
drying  up  and  draining  of  sloughs  and  swamps,  and  on 
account  of  excessive  shooting,  especially  on  account  of 
shooting  in  the  spring.  Wood  ducks,  red-heads,  mer- 
gansers, and  canvas-back  have  decreased  50  per  cent,  all 
on  account  of  much  hunting.  Green-winged  teal,  mal- 

1  The  closed  season  is  the  time  during  which  hunting  or  fishing  is 
prohibited  by  law.  In  the  open  season  fishing  and  hunting  are  legal. 


4  OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS 

lards,  pin-tails,  and  widgeons  have  maintained  the  bal- 
ance, while  the  blue-winged  teal  and  the  ruddy  duck 
have  increased. 

Robins  have  decreased  on  account  of  being  shot  by 
farmers  for  depredation  on  berries.  Bluebirds  have 
decreased  50  per  cent.  Mr.  J.  B.  Bean,  of  Nicollet, 
Minn.,  thinks  that  the  great  decrease  in  bluebirds  is 
due  to  the  late  spring  snow  storm  of  a  few  years  ago, 
when  he  found  many  bluebirds  lying  starved  on  the 
snow.  In  the  spring  and  summer  of  1898,  I  travelled 
from  the  southwest  corner  to  the  northeast  corner  of 
Minnesota  and  found  all  kinds  of  birds  everywhere  very 
numerous.  I  also  saw  more  bluebirds  than  I  had  seen  for 
years.  The  only  causes  I  can  suggest  for  this  decided 
increase  over  previous  years  was  a  late  spring  with  no 
late  night  frosts.  The  late  spring  may  have  prevented 
many  birds  from  going  farther  north,  and  the  absence  of 
late  frosts  would  favor  their  nesting  and  the  rearing  of 
the  young. 

Birds  will  often  decrease  or  disappear  from  one  local- 
ity and  appear  and  increase  in  another  locality.  The 
red-headed  woodpecker  has,  for  instance,  disappeared 
from  some  localities  in  St.  Paul  and  appeared  and  in- 
creased in  others.  In  May,  1898,  I  saw  the  bird  on 
the  open  prairie,  near  a  railroad  track,  five  miles  from 
the  nearest  natural  scrub  timber.  The  farm  groves  in 
that  district  are  too  young  for  woodpecker  nests,  but 
the  birds,  no  doubt,  nested  in  telegraph  poles.  I  have 
found  the  same  birds  very  numerous  in  burnt-over 
regions,  where  they  nested  in  fire-killed  trees.  It 


ARE  THE   BIRDS   DECREASING  5 

seems  to  me  that  for  various  reasons  some  of  our  birds 
have  withdrawn  into  regions  that  are  not  often  visited 
by  the  great  majority  of  observers,  and  that  there  has 
been  a  general  drifting  from  the  eastern  toward  the 
western  states.  A  number  of  years  ago  I  certainly 
never  saw  a  red-headed  woodpecker  on  Minnesota 
prairies.  I  call  attention  to  these  facts  to  show  how 
difficult  it  is  to  take  a  bird  census  and  to  find  a  trust- 
worthy average  for  a  large  state  with  much  variegated 
landscape  features. 


SECTION   II 

CAUSES   FOR  THE   DECREASE  OF   SONG   BIRDS 

i.  Lack  of  Nesting  Places. — It  is  known  to  every 
country  boy  that  woodpeckers  and  nuthatches  are  the 
carpenters  of  the  bird  world.  They  excavate  old  and 
decaying  trees  and  limbs,  and  in  the  holes  and  hollows 
make  houses  for  their  young.  Where  old  trees  are 
numerous,  these  bird  carpenters  build  more  houses  than 
they  need  for  themselves,  and  the  vacant  or  deserted 
woodpecker  homes  are  eagerly  sought  by  chickadees, 
titmice,  brown  creepers,  wrens,  and  bluebirds  ;  each 
bird  selecting  from  the  "  To  Rent "  list  a  house  which 
in  size  and  location  suits  its  taste.  In  larger  holes, 
which  probably  were  caused  by  the  decay  of  broken 
branches  and  were  enlarged  by  woodpeckers,  small  owls 
and  the  beautiful  wood  duck  build  their  nests. 

But  where  can  these  birds  nest,  when  there  are  no 
old,  hollow  trees  left  standing  ?  Most  of  them  are  com- 
pelled to  leave  the  regions  where  their  natural  homes 
are  no  longer  found.  A  few  make  use  of  old  telegraph 
poles,  old  fence  posts,  and  other  substitutes.  These 
places  are,  however,  very  much  exposed  to  cats,  birds  of 
prey,  thoughtless  boys,  and  adult  fool  gunners.  After 
one  or  two  seasons  the  linemen  put  in  a  new  telegraph 

6 


CAUSES   FOR   THE  DECREASE   OF   SONG   BIRDS          7 

pole  and  the  thrifty  farmer  replaces  the  old  post.  The 
birds  are  again  homeless. 

Another  large  class  of  song  birds  like  the  robin,  the 
catbird,  the  brown  thrush,  the  rose-breasted  grosbeak, 
and  nearly  all  the  warblers,  vireos,  and  many  native 
sparrows  either  nest  in  brush,  in  tangles,  and  on  low 
trees;  or  they  love,  at  least,  to  be  near  such  cover. 
Where  the  farmer  cuts  down  all  large  trees  and  then 
pastures  his  cattle  on  a  few  acres  of  woodland,  no 
underbrush  and  no  tangles  are  left.  American  city 
lots  and  parks,  for  the  most  part,  at  least,  also  furnish 
but  little  shrubbery  and  very  few  of  those  thickets  in 
which  the  birds  love  to  nest  and  to  live.  The  result  is 
that  native  birds  are  scarce. 

2.  Lack  of  Water.  — Nearly  all  birds  love  the  vicinity 
of  water.  They  drink  frequently  and  love  to  bathe  on 
the  shallow  banks  of  sand  and  pebbles.  In  most 
densely  settled  farming  regions,  nearly  all  ponds  and 
many  small  lakes  have  been  drained  off  and  many 
streams  and  springs  have  dried  up,  either  on  account  of 
the  general  drainage  or  on  account  of  the  clearing  away 
of  timber.  The  duck  pond  of  the  farmer  is  too  near 
the  house,  is  too  far  from  cover,  and  is  often  dry.  The 
pump  trough  is  not  available  for  the  birds,  because 
they  cannot  reach  the  water  from  its  high  rim.  The 
conditions  in  most  towns  and  cities  are  still  more 
unfavorable.  If  the  town  has  no  water- works,  it  is 
practically  uninhabitable  for  most  birds.  If  it  has 
water- works,  the  birds  can  drink  and  bathe  only  where 
the  hose  is  placed  on  the  lawn  and  allowed  to  run 


8  OUR   NATIVE  BIRDS 

for  several  hours.     Need  we  be  surprised  that  we  miss 
the  birds  under  these  conditions? 

3.  Cats.  —  All  domestic  cats  catch  a  bird,  whenever 
they  can,  and  many  are  confirmed  bird  and  nest  hunters. 
On  the  ground,  in  holes  and  boxes,  in  shrubs,  and  on 
small  trees,  birds  and  nests  are  alike  exposed  to  their 
attacks.      About  the  only  nest  a  cat  cannot  reach  is 
that  of  the  Baltimore  oriole,  but  should  an  overbold 
oriole  fledgling  fall  to  the  ground,  before  it  is  wary 
and  has  mastered  the  new  art  of  flying,  the  ever  watch- 
ing cats  are  almost  sure  to  get  it.      And  how  many 
young  birds  fall  to  the  ground  out  of  the  nest  or  from 
their  perch  ! 

If  we  consider  that  many  farmers  seem  to  keep  about 
as  many  cats  as  the  farm  would  support  mice,  and  that 
many  city  families  will,  at  least,  keep  a  worthless  cat, 
if  not  also  a  worthless  cur,  the  scarcity  of  birds  need 
not  puzzle  us. 

I  have  often  wondered  if  some  species  of  small  owl 
could  not  be  domesticated,  and  displace  the  cat  as  a 
mouser.  Some  bird-lover  ought  to  make  careful  exper- 
iments with  owls  for  this  purpose. 

4.  Boys,  Collectors,  and  So-called  Bird  Students.  —  My 
experience  with  boys  enables  me  to  say  that  parents, 
teachers,  and  other  adults  are  responsible  for  most  of  the 
mischief  boys  commit  against  birds.     They  are  easily 
turned  into  bird  protectors,  as  I  shall  show  later.     The 
individual  with  the  egg  and  skin  collecting  mania,  and 
the  individual  who  makes  collecting  in  a  settled  country 
a  business  are  nuisances.     Several  periodicals  and  many 


CAUSES  FOR  THE  DECREASE  OP  SONG  BIRDS         9 

of  the  people  who  write  for  them  and  advertise  in  them 
belong  to  the  same  class. 

We  do  not  want  more  birds  in  dark  and  dusty  collec- 
tions ;  we  want  more  birds  to  sing  to  us  and  our  children 
from  bushes  and  tree  tops. 

5.  Birds  on  Hats.  —  The  wearing  of  birds  on  hats 
has  fearfully  decreased,  or  almost  exterminated  a  num- 
ber of  bright-plumed  southern  birds.    I  have  not  learned 
of  song  birds  being  hunted  in  the  central  and  northern 
states  of  the  Mississippi  basin  to  adorn  ladies'  hats.1 

6.  The  English  Sparrow.  —  There  can  be  no  doubt 
but  that  this  pugilistic,  chattering  rogue  worries  away 
very  many  birds  which  would  otherwise  nest  near  our 
homes ;  however,  its  sins  have  probably  been  somewhat 
exaggerated. 

7.  The  Lack  of  Food.  —  Insects  of  nearly  all  kinds 
and  waste  grain  are  so  abundant  in  every  settled  region 
that  perhaps  no  species  of  song  bird  has  decreased  on 
account  of  lack  of  food  during  the  summer  time.     For 
autumn  and  spring  migrants  and  for  winter  residents 
there  is  no  such  regular  and  abundant  food  supply. 

8.  The  Extensive  Use  of  Poison  in  Farming  and  Garden- 
ing. —  I  cite  this  as  a  possible  cause  for  the  decrease  of 
birds.     Since  the  potato-bug  has  spread  over  the  whole 
country  every  gardener  and  farmer  uses  large  quantities 

1  See  :  "The  Wearing  of  Heron's  Plumes  or  Aigrettes,"  by  Frank 
M.  Chapman.  Published  by  the  Audubon  Societies  of  New  Jersey  and 
New  York.  Write  for  it  to  the  secretary  of  any  State  Audubon 
Society. 

See  also:  "The  Work  of  the  Audubon  Societies,"  by  the  same 
author,  in  the  Delineator,  March,  1898. 


10  OUB   NATIVE  BIRDS 

of  Paris  green  and  other  arsenical  poisons.  Although 
I  have  no  evidence  and  am  not  aware  that  the  subject 
has  been  investigated  by  any  scientist,  it  seems  that  a 
number  of  insectivorous  birds  that  are  known  to  eat 
potato-bugs  must  be,  at  times,  poisoned  by  eating  insects 
paralysed  by  Paris  green.  It  has  been  repeatedly 
observed  that  corn  which  has  been  impregnated  with 
strychnine  for  killing  gophers,  blackbirds,  and  crows  is 
at  times  eaten  by  quails,  prairie-chickens,  mourning 
doves,  meadow  larks,  and  other  seed-eaters. 

The  only  way  to  avoid  the  poisoning  of  song  and  game 
birds  is  to  restrict  the  use  of  poisons  to  the  most  serious 
cases  of  insect,  bird,  and  vermin  pests  —  to  cases  that 
cannot  be  reached  by  any  other  means.  We  should  not 
forget  that  birds  and  animals  do  not  commit  crimes 
against  us ;  they  simply  live  as  their  nature  compels 
them  to.  If  they  wage  war  against  us,  they  are  simply 
fighting  the  battle  for  existence,  which  is  the  divine 
right  of  all  life,  and  of  animals  and  plants  as  well  as  of 
man;  it  is  the  unalienable  birthright  of  all  nature. 
Humane  nations  and  humane  thinkers  have  long  ceased 
to  consider  all  means  fair  in  war.  Should  not  man, 
who  is  now  so  far  ahead  in  the  struggle,  consider  some 
means  unfair  in  his  war  with  the  lower  creatures,  espe- 
cially as  they  cannot  use  unfair  means  ? 

We  have  need  of  much  more  light  on  the  question  of 
injurious  birds  and  animals.  Nearly  every  farmer  and 
gardener  is  apt  to  exaggerate  the  injury  caused  him  by 
bird  or  beast,  because  this  injury  is  conspicuous,  and  is 
done  within  a  few  months,  weeks,  days,  or  even 


CAUSES   FOB  THE   DECREASE   OF  SONG  BIRDS       11 

hours.  But  the  benefits  rendered  extend  over  the 
whole  season  or  year,  and  elude  the  observation  of  most 
people.  An  owl  may  catch  a  thousand  mice  in  a  year, 
and  the  farmer  does  not  know  that  there  is  an  owl 
within  a  mile  of  his  place,  but  let  the  owl  catch  a  stray 
pullet  and  he  is  at  once  sentenced  to  be  shot  without 
investigation. 

The  dog  and  the  cat,  on  the  other  hand,  are  held  in 
much  higher  esteem  than  they  deserve.  In  the  city, 
nine  dogs  out  of  every  ten  are  a  nuisance,  and  consti- 
tute an  element  of  danger  to  the  inhabitants. 

In  the  country,  at  least  every  other  dog  lives  on 
bread  he  never  earned  and  is  nothing  but  a  worthless 
Ishmaelite,  whose  teeth  and  claws  are  against  every 
creature,  from  the  moose  in  the  forest  to  the  mouse  in 
the  meadow. 

CAUSES    OF    DECEEASE    IN    BIRD    LIFE    AS    GIVEN     IN 
W.    T.    HORN  AD  AY'S   REPORT.1 

Of  the  series  of  one  hundred  and  ninety  reports  now 
before  us,  about  80  per  cent  declare  a  decrease  in  bird 
life  and  state  the  causes  therefor.  The  list  of  destruc- 
tive agencies  now  operating  against  our  birds  is  a  long 
one,  and  it  is  interesting  to  note  the  number  of  oberv- 
ers  who  complain  of  each.  The  figures  given  below 
show  the  number  of  observers  who  have  reported  each 

1  This  and  other  extracts  from  Mr.  W.  T.  Hornaday's  report  on 
"The  Destruction  of  our  Birds  and  Mammals"  are  taken  from  his 
report  as  published  by  the  New  York  Zoological  Society  with  the  per- 
mission of  the  author. 


12  OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS 

of  these  various  causes  in  answer  to  the  third  question 

in  the  list. 

1.  Sportsmen  and  "  so-called  sportsmen,"      .        .  54  reports 

2.  Boys  who  shoot, 42  " 

3.  Market-hunters  and  "  pot-hunters,"  ...  26  " 

4.  Plume-hunters  and  milliners'  hunters,       .         .  32  " 

5.  "  Shooters  generally,"       .  .  21  " 

6.  Egg-collecting,  chiefly  by  small  boys,        .        .  20  " 

7.  English  sparrow, 18  " 

8.  Clearing  off  timber,  development  of  towns  and 

cities, 31  " 

9.  Italians  and  others,  who  devour  song  birds,       .  12  " 

10.  Cheap  firearms, 5  " 

11.  Drainage  of  marshes, 5  " 

12.  Non-enforcement  of  laws,  .....  5  " 

13.  Gun  clubs  and  hunting  contests        ...  5  " 

14.  Trapping  birds  for  sale  alive,    ....  2  " 

15.  Prospectors,  miners,  and  range-riders,       .  2  " 

16.  Collectors  (ornithologists  and  taxidermists),     .  5  " 

17.  Colored  population,   ......  4  " 

18.  Indians  (for  decrease  of  game  quadrupeds),     .  4  " 


SECTION  III 

THE  DECREASE  OF  GAME  BIRDS 

PKAIRIE-CHICKENS,  partridges,  and  quails  are  always 
more  or  less  abundant,  unless  they  are  hunted  too  much, 
or  cannot  find  some  shelter  in  timber  during  winter. 
For  the  protection  of  all  our  gallinaceous  game  birds,  we 
need  good  and  rigidly  enforced  game  laws.  The  case 
of  aquatic  game  birds  I  shall  illustrate  by  a  concrete 
example. 

About  twenty  years  ago,  Loon  Lake  in  Minnesota, 
covered  an  area  of  about  fifteen  square  miles,  and  was 
from  two  to  twenty -five  feet  deep.  At  that  time  swans 
and  pelicans  visited  the  lake  in  fall  and  spring,  but  no 
longer  bred  there.  Canada  geese,  ducks,  and  coots 
nested  on  the  lake.  The  lake  teemed  with  pickerel, 
pike,  and  bullhead.  On  the  tall  trees  of  one  of  the 
many  wooded  peninsulas  the  great  blue  heron,  the  black- 
crowned  night  heron,  and  the  black  cormorants  had 
established  a  large,  flourishing  heronry. 

In  the  fall  of  1880  the  lake  was  lower  than  usual. 
In  the  following  winter  a  very  heavy  layer  of  snow 
covered  the  ice  and  in  the  spring  of  1881  thousands  of 
dead  pickerel  were  cast  ashore.  This  general  destruc- 
tion was  caused  by  lack  of  air.  Pelicans  were  not 

13 


14  OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS 

known  on  the  lake  after  this  destruction  of  the  fish,  but 
swans  still  visit  the  lake  in  spring  and  fall. 

Great  blue  herons  and  cormorants  continued  fairly 
numerous  until  in  the  summer  of  1895  or  1896,  when 
the  water  was  so  low  that  the  bullheads  died  ;  then 
these  birds  left  the  lake.  In  the  autumn  of  1896,  by 
far  the  greater  part  of  the  lake  was  a  mud-flat,  and 
there  were  only  a  few  ducks  found  on  it. 

In  the  spring  of  1897  the  water  again  rose  to  an 
average  depth  of  about  two  and  one-half  feet,  and  in 
that  autumn  nearly  all  kinds  of  ducks  were  again 
present  in  great  numbers.  An  astonishing  number  of 
coots  bred  there  or  arrived  in  fall. 

The  spring  of  1898  was  late  in  coming,  but  there 
was  no  relapse  into  winter.  When  the  lake  was  well 
clear  of  ice,  the  spring  shooting  season  had  closed,  and 
great  numbers  of  ducks,  of  different  species,  bred  on 
the  lake  because  they  were  not  disturbed  by  hunters. 
The  average  depth  of  the  water  was  about  two  and  one 
half  feet  in  August.  On  the  twenty-fourth  of  that 
month  I  saw  a  flock  of  red-heads,  mostly  young,  which 
I  estimated  to  contain  about  800  individuals.  Blue- 
winged  teal  and  mallards  were  also  very  numerous 
and  there  was  a  sprinkling  of  other  species.  The  num- 
ber of  coots  was  almost  incredible.  Following  an  ir- 
regular shore  fringe  of  rushes  with  a  field-glass  for 
about  five  miles,  I  estimated  the  number  seen  from 
one  point  to  be  about  10,000.  The  change  in  the  water 
level  was,  of  course,  accompanied  by  a  corresponding 
change  in  aquatic  plants.  In  the  summer  of  1898 


THE  DECREASE   OF   GAME   BIRDS  15 

there  were  many  square  miles  of  water  pest,  elodea,  and 
extensive  areas  of  water  celery,  vallisneria.  The  latter 
is  the  favorite  food  of  the  red-head  and  the  canvas- 
back  duck.  The  only  fish  observed  were  numerous 
small  minnows,  wherever  the  weeds  left  enough  clear 
water  for  them  to  swim  about  in. 

The  changes  in  the  level  of  the  lake  were  principally 
produced  by  corresponding  changes  in  the  supply  of 
rain  and  snow. 

The  above  sketch  proves  that  a  sufficient  water 
supply  will  insure  a  sufficient  food  supply  for  aquatic 
birds ;  and  if  they  are  not  hunted  in  spring,  and  not 
hunted  too  much  in  fall,  ducks  at  least  are  likely  to  be 
numerous  wherever  natural  conditions  favor  them. 
Geese,  cranes,  swans,  and  pelicans  are  so  large  and 
conspicuous  that  they  always  attract  attention  and  are 
disturbed.  Thus  they  become  very  wild  and  wary,  and 
leave  settled  regions. 

If  large  birds  were  not  so  thoughtlessly  persecuted, 
they  would  become  accustomed  to  live  and  breed  in 
settled  regions,  so  that  nearly  everybody  would  have 
an  opportunity  to  observe  such  as  Canada  geese,  loons, 
and  herons  in  their  natural  environments.  This  is 
proved  by  the  state  of  semi-domestication  in  which  the 
white  stork  lives  in  Germany  and  in  other  countries. 
The  bird  is  about  as  large  as  our  great  blue  heron  and 
is  very  conspicuously  colored,  but  as  it  is  not  molested 
by  the  people,  it  builds  its  nest  on  the  roofs  of  houses 
and  other  buildings,  and  hunts  frogs,  lizards,  and 
snakes  on  the  village  meadows,  and  fishes  in  the 


16  OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS 

nearest  streams  and  ponds.  The  peasants  often  place 
cartwheels  on  the  gables,  where  the  storks  use  them  as 
convenient  foundations  for  nests.  The  same  birds 
have  been  known  to  return  to  the  same  house  for 
many  successive  years.  Not  all  birds  can  be  accus- 
tomed to  live  near  man.  The  black  stork  of  Europe 
is  still  the  wild  bird  of  the  fens  and  moors.  I  have 
several  times  found  its  nest  in  lonely  moorland  forests, 
where  it  was  built  on  tall  pines  that  were  almost 
inaccessible  even  to  an  enthusiastic  boy.  Where  the 
white  stork  built  when  its  present  range  was  covered 
by  the  vast,  gloomy  forests  which  Csesar  and  Tacitus 
describe,  I  do  not  know. 

Much  missionary  work  has  still  to  be  done  before  we 
may  hope  to  protect  large,  conspicuous  birds.  A 
German  proverb  says  :  "  The  fools  never  become  ex- 
tinct," but  I  hope  that  schools,  educative  societies,  law, 
and  police  may  in  the  near  future  practically  exter- 
minate the  bird -destroy  ing  variety.1 

Although  this  little  book  is  principally  concerned 
with  song  birds,  I  cannot  pass  the  opportunity  of 
saying  a  few  words  on  other  wild  creatures  ;  —  for  who 
would  like  to  have  all  the  wild  Indian  romance  hunted 
and  driven  away  from  our  marshes  and  woods  ?  A 
lake,  where  you  may  chance  upon  a  stately  heron, 
surprise  a  beautiful  wood  duck,  or  espy  a  flock  of  wild, 
honking  geese,  is  always  full  of  charm  and  virile  in- 
spiration ;  but  what  man  or  woman,  boy  or  girl,  is 

1See  Hatch,  "  Birds  of  Minnesota,"  on  herons  on  Crane  Island,  in 
Lake  Minnetonka,  Minnesota. 


THE  DECREASE   OF   GAME  BIRDS  17 

stirred  by  the  insipid  combination  of  nothing  but 
water,  weeds,  and  ripples  ?  In  such  a  place  you  feel 
keenly  a  want  of  harmony,  only  a  part  of  the  "  Each 
and  All "  is  there,  you  encounter  the  painful  desolation 
of  a  deserted  home,  and  confess  with  a  pang  that 
you  and  your  kindred,  either  by  deed  or  by  neglect, 
are  responsible  for  this  emptiness  of  nature.  The  wild 
creatures'  Eden  is  there.  The  birds  have  never  sinned 
against  God  or  man.  Why  have  we  banished  them  to 
the  sub- Arctic  wastes  ? 

How  interesting  and  truly  romantic  is  a  boat  trip, 
when  you  may  expect  a  deer  coming  out  from  the 
thicket  to  drink,  when  you  know  wild-cats  and  bears 
may  be  listening  to  your  voice.  How  stale  and  tame 
the  whole  journey  becomes,  when  a  six-inch  pickerel 
is  the  wildest  creature  you  may  expect  to  view.  There 
you  cannot  help  thinking  that  for  every  lover  of  nature 
this  world  is  becoming  a  tiresome  place.  Is  the  time 
rapidly  approaching  when  English  sparrows,  brown 
rats,  and  cottontails  will  be  the  biggest  wild  creatures 
in  the  country?  We  read  in  the  Holy  Book  that 
"  God  saw  every  thing  that  he  had  made,  and,  behold, 
it  was  very  good."  I  fear  that,  unless  the  taste  of 
Him  Who  is  unchangeable  has  undergone  a  decided 
change,  He  must  at  this  time  be  much  disgusted  with 
a  large  part  of  the  earth  He  created.  Man,  whom  He 
gave  dominion  over  all,  is  indeed  ruling  the  earth,  but 
he  is  not  ruling  it  like  a  wise,  beneficent  father  ;  he  is 
ruling  it  like  a  greedy,  despotic  conqueror. 

It  is  high  time  that  all  lovers  of  nature  wake  up, 


18  OUR   NATIVE   BIRDS 

that  especially  all  teachers  and  educators  awake  and 
join  the  forces  that  are  now  working  to  preserve  for 
ourselves  and  our  children  that  great  and  beautiful 
Nature  whose  spirit  we  feel  in  Evangeline,  and  whose 
very  soul  speaks  to  us  from  Hiawatha.  Let  us  not 
make  the  inspiration  of  future  poets  impossible. 


SECTION  IV 

PROTECTING  SONG  BIRDS  AND  ATTRACTING  THEM 
TO  OUR  HOMES 

CHAPTER  I 

BY   FURNISHING  THEM   TREES,   VINES,   AND   SHRUBS 

What  to  Plant.  —  Species  that  grow  wild  in  your 
vicinity  are  likely  to  thrive  best  and  attract  the  greatest 
number  of  birds.  None  but  perfectly  hardy  species 
should  be  selected.  Just  what  you  want  will  depend 
on  your  intentions  and  on  the  space  and  locality  you 
have  at  your  disposal.  As  it  would  be  impossible  to 
give  detailed  directions  suitable  for  all  parts  of  the 
country,  I  must  refer  those  looking  for  more  specific 
directions  to  reliable  nursery  men,  to  the  Agricultural 
Experiment  stations,  to  superintendents  of  city  parks, 
and  to  the  publications  of  the  United  States  Forestry 
Division,  Washington,  D.C.  Cottonwoods  and  wil- 
lows are  among  the  poorest  trees  for  attracting  birds. 
Nearly  all  prairie  groves  should  have  much  more 
underbrush,  for  which  almost  any  shade-enduring 
shrub,  bush,  or  vine  would  answer.  A  grove  of  mixed 
trees  attracts  more  birds  than  a  grove  consisting  of 
one  kind  only.1 

1  On  the  food  of  birds  see  Farmers'  Bulletin  No.  54.  See  Merriam, 
"  Birds  of  Village  and  Field,"  on  planting  of  shrubbery  to  protect  cul- 
tivated fruit  from  birds.  Pages  xxiii-xxviii. 

19 


20  OUR   NATIVE  BIKDS 

Source  of  Stock.  —  You  might  raise  the  plants  from 
seeds  or  procure  them  from  the  woods,  but  in  most 
cases  it  will  be  cheaper  to  buy  of  a  reliable  nursery, 
stating  the  purpose  for  which  you  wish  the  plants  and 
what  place  and  soil  they  are  to  be  planted  in. 

Time  for  Planting.  —  The  best  time  for  planting  is 
early  in  the  spring,  just  as  growth  begins,  but  before 
the  leaves  have  come  out. 

Planting  of  Evergreens.  —  All  evergreens  are  very 
sensitive  to  moving.  The  greatest  care  must  be  taken 
to  prevent  the  fine  rootlets  from  becoming  dry.  They 
are  best  planted  in  early  spring,  as  soon  as  the  ground 
can  be  conveniently  worked. 

Watering.  —  If  the  season  is  dry,  it  may  become 
necessary  to  water  the  young  trees  until  their  root 
system  has  well  developed.  Give  plenty  of  water,  if 
you  water  at  all,  or  you  will  simply  cause  a  hard  crust 
to  be  formed  of  the  surface  soil. 

Twiners,  like  hops,  moonseed,  and  waxberry,  Celas- 
trus  scandens,  prefer  poles  or  posts  from  one  to  three 
inches  thick,  and  will  not  twine  around  supports  much 
thicker.  It  is  not  advisable  to  plant  them  near 
valuable  young  trees,  as  they  tend  to  strangle  them. 

When,  in  the  lists  following,  one  Latin  name  is  given 
with  the  English  name  of  a  plant,  the  genus  only  is 
referred  to  ;  when  two  Latin  words  follow  the  English 
name,  a  certain  species  is  referred  to.  It  was  not  possi- 
ble or  advisable  in  most  cases  to  refer  to  a  particular 
species,  as  of  most  genera  a  number  of  valuable  species 
are  found  in  the  different  sections  of  the  country. 


FIG.  1.— WILD  YAM  VINE  ON  SPRAY  OF  WILD  HAW.    ABOUT  ON] 
THIRD  NATURAL  SIZE. 
21 


22  OUK   NATIVE   BIRDS 

• 

Nursery  men  are  likely  to  offer  species  which  have  been 
introduced  from  Europe  or  Asia,  but  they  will  generally 
answer  just  as  well,  provided  they  are  hardy  in  the  region 
where  they  are  wanted.  The  letters  N.,  S.,  M.,  W., 
mean  that  the  respective  plant  is  found  or  that  the 
genus  is  represented  in  the  North,  South,  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, and  on  the  Pacific  Slope  respectively.  On  the 
distribution  of  species  and  genera  I  have  consulted  :  — 

1.  Gray,  Manual  of  the  Botany  of  the  Northern  United  States. 

Sixth  edition. 

2.  Britton  and  Brown,  Illustrated  Flora  of   the  Northern  United 

States  and  Canada. 

3.  Chapman,  Flora  of  the  Southern  United  States.    Second  edition. 

4.  Coulter,  Manual  of  the  Botany  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  Region. 

5.  Whitney  and  Watson,  Botany  of  California. 

I  believe  that  our  native  trees,  shrubs,  vines,  and 
flowers  should  be  used  much  more  for  ornamental  pur- 
poses. Readers  who  may  wish  to  know  the  more  con- 
spicuous wild  flowers  are  referred  to  Mrs.  Dana,  "  How 
to  know  the  Wild  Flowers,"  and  to  Parsons  and  Buck, 
"The  Wild  Flowers  of  California." 

Both  books  are  illustrated  and  are  well  adapted  to  the 
purpose  they  intend  to  serve,  and  show  that  hundreds 
of  our  wild  flowers  deserve  a  place  in  our  parks  and 
gardens. 

Our  schools  in  observing  Bird  and  Arbor  Day,  or 
Nature  Day,  should  not  neglect  vines,  shrubs,  and 
flowers.  Your  space  for  trees  may  be  limited,  but  you 
can  always  find  corners,  fences,  and  walls  for  vines, 
shrubs,  and  flowers,  and  it  is  generally  easier  to  make 


TREES,    VINES,    AND    SHRUBS  23 

these  smaller  plants  grow.  When  you  transfer  wild 
plants  to  your  lawns  and  gardens,  do  not  fail  to  ob- 
serve closely  under  what  conditions  they  grow,  and 


FIG.  2.  —  FALSE  BITTERSWEET.    THE  PALE  ORANGE  ARILS  HAVE  NOT 
YET  OPENED.    ABOUT  ONE-FOURTH  NATURAL  SlZE. 

then  surround  them,  as  far   as  possible,  by  the  same 
conditions  of  light,  shade,  temperature,  soil,  and  moist- 


24  OUR    NATIVE   BIRDS 

ure.  A  shade-loving  plant  will,  of  course,  perish  if 
planted  against  an  exposed  south  front  wall. 

The  groups  in  which  I  have  arranged  the  woody 
plants  that  are  of  special  interest  to  bird  lovers  need  no 
further  explanation. 

a.  Species  with  Dense  Foliage  and  Copious  Branching. 
—  Trees  and  other  woody  plants  of  this  character  offer 
good  nesting  places  for  many  species  ;  they  protect  the 
fledglings  from  cats,  crows,  and  hawks,  and  some  of 
them  also  bear  fruit,  which  is  eaten  by  many  birds. 
The  following  are  suggested  :  - 

1.  Norway  Spruce  and  Native  Spruces. 

2.  Scotch  Pine,  Austrian  Pine,  and  Native  Pines. 

3.  White  Cedar  and  Red  Cedar.     N.,  S.,  W. 

4.  White  Elm.     N.,  S. 

5.  Wild  Plums.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 

6.  Wild  Haws.      Cratcegus.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 

7.  Mulberries. 

8.  Choke  Cherry  and  other  wild  cherries.     N.,  S., 
M.,  W. 

9.  Wild  Hazel.     N.,  S..  M.,  W. 

10.  Virginia  Creeper.     N.,  S.,  M. 

11.  Wild  Grape  Vines.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 

12.  Wild  Clematis.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 

13.  Green-Brier.     Smilax.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 

14.  False    Bittersweet.       Celastrus   scandens.      N., 
Southwest. 

15.  Honeysuckle.     Lonicera.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 

16.  Mock  Orange.     Philadelphia.     Central,  S.,  W. 


TREES,   VINES,    AND   SHRUBS  25 

17.  Meadow-Sweet.     Spircea.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 

18.  Citrus  Trifoliata.    Hedge  shrub  not  hardy  north. 

19.  Honey-Locust.     G-leditschia.     N.,  S. 

20.  Moonseed.     Menispermum.     N.,  S. 

b.     Species  Desirable  on  Account  of  their  Fruit. 

aa.  The  following  species  produce  fruit  that  ripens 
in  summer  or  autumn,  and  attracts  summer  residents 
and  early  autumn  migrants :  — 

1.  Wild  Cherries.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 

2.  Wild  Currants  and  Gooseberries.    N.,S.,M.,W. 

3.  Juneberry  or  Shadbush.     Amelanchier.     N.,S., 
M.,  W. 

4.  Wild  Plums.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W., 

5.  Snowberry.     SympJioriearpus.      N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 

6.  Dogwood.      Oornus.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 

7.  Hackberry.      Celtis.     N.,  S.,  M. 

8.  Elder.     Sambucus.'    N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 

9.  Viburnum.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 
10.     Mountain  Ash. 

bb.  The  following  species  produce  fruit  that  ripens 
late  in  autumn,  remains  on  the  twigs  into  or  through 
the  winter,  and  attracts  late  migrants,  winter  residents, 
and  migrants  on  their  northward  journey  in  spring. 

1.  Hackberry.      Celtis.     N.,  S.,  M. 

2.  Mountain  Ash.     Sorbus.     N.,  M.,  W. 

3.  Red  Cedar.     Juniperus.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 

4.  Wild  Haws.      Cratcegm.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 

5.  False    Bittersweet.       Celastrus  scandens.      N., 
Southwest. 


26 


OUR   NATIVE   BIRDS 


6.  Burning-bush,  or  Wahoo.     Euonymus.     L.,  N., 
S.,  M.,  W. 

7.  Wild  Rose.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 

8.  Moonseed.     Menisperum.     N.,  S. 

9.  Virginia  Creeper.     N.,  S.,  M. 

10.  Green-Brier.     Smilax.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 

11.  Box-Elder.     Female  trees.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 


FIG.  3.  —  BURNING-BUSH.     A  SPRAY  WITH  FRUIT  AS  SEEN  IN  EARLY 
AUTUMN.    ABOUT  ONE-HALF  NATURAL  SIZE. 

12.  Sumach.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 

13.  Holly.     Ibex.     N.,  S. 

14.  Wild  Crab  Apple.     Mains.     N.,  S. 

c.     The  Following  Species  Offer  Both  Fruit  and  Dense 
Foliage :  — 

1.  Honeysuckle.     Lonicera.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 

2.  Chokecherry.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 


TREES,   VINES,   AND   SHRUBS 


27 


3.  Wild  Plum.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 

4.  Wild  Currant.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 

5.  Wild  Grape  Vines.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W, 

6.  Virginia  Creeper.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 

7.  Elder.     Sambucus.     N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 


FIG.  4.  —  MOONSEED  TWINING  ON  A  YOUNG   WILLOW. 
EIGHTH  NATURAL  SIZE. 


ABOUT    ONE- 


8.     Wild  Gooseberries.     Species  with  smooth  fruit. 
N.,  S.,  M.,  W. 

Flowers  for  Hummingbirds.  —  These  little  gems  of 
sunshine  are  a  unique  feature  of  American  birddom.' 
In  the  summer  of  1898  they  were  particularly  numer- 


28  OUR   NATIVE  BIKDS 

ous  on  the  farms,  in  the  towns  and  parks  of  southeast- 
ern Minnesota,  and  I  also  found  them  in  the  wild 
northeast  corner  of  the  state,  where  they  flitted  about 
among  fire  weeds  and  raspberries  of  the  North  Shore. 
While  they  are  specially  attracted  by  long-tubed  flow- 
ers, they  seem  to  visit  nearly  all  flowers.  The  gladiolus 
is  one  of  their  favorite  flowers;  a  bed  of  them  was 
almost  the  home  of  several  that  I  observed  last  summer. 
I  would  therefore  suggest  that  these  beautiful,  showy 
flowers  be  not  omitted  from  gardens  where  humming- 
birds are  wanted.  The  little  creatures,  as  far  as  I 
know,  do  not  suffer  from  cats  and  are  not  encroached 
upon  by  the  English  sparrow,  although  I  have  seen  a 
sparrow  shoot  at  one  in  midair,  probably  mistaking  it 
for  a  large  insect. 

General  Suggestions  on  Tree  Planting  for  Birds.  —  In 
the  numberless  groves  which  now  adorn  our  prairie 
states,  birds  are  generally  numerous  and  conspicuous 
during  spring  and  early  summer,  May  and  June  in  this  re- 
gion, but  in  July,  when  the  dry  season  begins  and  when 
berries  begin  to  ripen  in  the  woods  and  copses,  they  dis- 
appear, as  if  suddenly  spirited  away.  Plant  some  of  the 
species  referred  to  under  and  around  your  groves  of  box- 
elder,  cottonwood,  soft  maple,  and  willows,  and  provide 
the  birds  with  one  or  more  bathing  and  drinking  foun- 
tains and  many  will  stay  in  your  groves  all  summer. 

On  city  lots,  shrubs  and  vines  should  be  placed  along 
fences,  and  in  unsightly  corners ;  they  will  beautify 
your  property  and  attract  the  birds. 

Managers  of   parks  and  of   large  private  properties 


ATTRACTING   SONG   BIEDS  29 

can  attract  hosts  of  birds  if  they  have  the  matter 
brought  to  their  attention.  They  generally  employ 
skilled  horticulturists,  and  they  can  have  no  difficulty 
in  deciding  what  to  plant.  An  interesting  incident  is 
told  by  Dr.  W.  Kobelt,  of  the  Botanical  Garden  at 
Giessen,  Germany  :  "  Two  ponds  were  separated  by  a 
dam,  which  served  as  a  walk.  This  dam  was  cut  out 
at  both  ends,  thus  making  an  island,  which,  during  the 
summer  time,  was  inaccessible  to  cats  and  bad  boys.  A 
few  trees  were  already  growing  on  the  dam  and  all 
kinds  of  shrubs  and  vines,  and  a  few  conifers  were 
planted  in  addition.  A  few  large  rocks  and  a  pile  of 
brush  for  wrens  were  also  added  and  the  bird  island 
was  left  to  itself  and  to  the  birds.  It  was  not  found 
necessary  to  advertise  the  island  in  the  papers  or  to  put 
up  signs  with  "Nesting  Places  for  Rent."  The  very 
first  spring  the  islet  was  crowded  with  nests,  and  from 
the  island  the  birds  populated  the  neighboring  gar- 
dens. Every  kind  of  bird  that  nests  at  all  in  the 
vicinity  of  Giessen  and  in  such  places  was  found  on 
this  island." 

This  incident  shows  how  quickly  the  birds  will  make 
use  of  suitable  nesting  places.  As  most  of  our  larger 
cities  have  parks  with  lakes  and  ponds  in  them,  many 
of  them  could  maintain  such  islands  without  any  extra 
expense.  The  main  point  for  consideration  is  that  such 
islands  furnish  absolute  protection  against  cats.  The 
nests  cannot  be  molested,  nor  can  the  young  birds  be 
destroyed  while  they  hop  about  on  the  ground  or  sit  on 
low  bushes,  unable  to  rise  to  higher  and  safer  perches. 


30  OUR   NATIVE   BIRDS 

Let  us  have  bird  islands  wherever  conditions  make  it 
possible ! 

Almost  every  farmer  and  land  owner  possesses  small 
areas  which  cannot  be  utilized  for  agricultural  purposes. 
Plant  these  waste  places  with  shrubs,  trees,  and  vines 
suitable  to  the  locality.  Summer  birds  will  nest  in 
these  isolated  woods,  and  migrants  and  winter  residents 
will  gladly  resort  to  them  for  food  and  protection.  I 
have  known  a  large  flock  of  quails  to  make  their  home 
in  a  copse  of  small  trees,  shrubs,  and  dead  flower  stalks 
and  grasses.  This  natural  shelter  extended  a  few 
hundred  yards  along  a  meandering  prairie  stream  in 
Minnesota.  The  quails  could  not  be  driven  out  of  it. 
If  you  want  a  place  where  your  boy  may  hunt  rabbits, 
he  will  find  them  in  such  waste-land  shelter. 

Rural  Schools  and  Nature. — If  the  windows  and  doors 
of  many  country  schoolhouses  did  not  so  much  suggest 
the  structure  in  which  the  worthy  Ichabod  Crane  offici- 
ated, a  stranger  would  undoubtedly  mistake  these  cor- 
ner shanties  for  township  jails  or  some  kind  of  penal 
sheds  or  almshouses.  The  dilapidated  appearance  of  the 
jail  and  its  desolate  surroundings  he  might  interpret  as 
intended  to  accentuate  the  punishment  of  the  culprit  or 
to  symbolize  the  lack  of  beauty  and  harmony  in  his 
mind  and  morals.  I  cannot  imagine  that,  without  see- 
ing the  children,  the  teacher,  or  the  school  furniture,  he 
could  possibly  hit  upon  the  idea  that  these  are  the 
places  where  wealthy,  intelligent,  and  practical  com- 
munities compel  their  children  to  spend  one-fifth  of  the 
waking  hours  of  their  youth,  and  that  they  would 


ATTRACTING   SONG   BIRDS 


31 


select  such  desolate  shacks  in  which  to  teach  the  grow- 
ing generation  to  appreciate  and  admire  the  beautiful. 
As  long  as  so  little  is  done  to  make  country  life  pleas- 
ant, the  boys  and  girls  do  right  to  leave  the  farms. 


FIG.  5.  —  TWIGS  OF  BURNING-BUSH  IN  FRUIT  AND  RED  CEDAR.     FROM 
A  WATER  COLOR  BY  H.  GIEHLER.     ABOUT  ONE-THIRD  NATURAL  SIZE. 

Every  person  who  is  interested  in  making  rural  life 
and  rural  schools  what  they  ought  to  be  should  send  for  : 
Bulletin  160,  "Hints  on  Rural  School  Grounds."  By 
L.  H.  Bailey,  Cornell  University,  Agricultural  Ex- 


32  OUR   NATIVE   BIRDS 

periment  Station,   Ithaca,  N.  Y.    It    is    sent   free    to 
applicants. 

The  bulletin  is  finely  illustrated  and  gives  explicit 
directions  for  planting  trees,  shrubbery,  and  flowers  on 
school  grounds.  The  suggestions  given  there  can  also 
be  applied  to  rural  homes,  city  homes,  and  city  schools. 
If  you  follow  out  Professor  Bailey's  ideas,  you  will  soon 
have  trees,  shrubs,  flowers,  and  birds  near  your  homes 
and  schools,  and  they  will  become  the  beauty  spots  of 
the  country.1 

1  See  an  article  on  "School  Gardens"  in  Appleton's  Popular  Science 
Monthly,  February,  1898.  Write  to  Agricultural  Experiment  Station, 
Fort  Collins,  Col.,  for  "  Notes  on  Birds  of  Colorado  ;  "  to  Agricultural 
Experiment  Station,  Orono,  Maine,  for  two  pamphlets,  "Ornament- 
ing Home  Grounds"  and  "Ornamental  Plants  for  Maine  ;"  to  Agri- 
cultural Experiment  Station,  Lincoln,  Neb.,  for  "Ornamental  Plant- 
ing" and  "Methods  of  Tree  Planting;"  to  U.  S.  Department  of 
Agriculture,  Washington,  D.  C.,  for  "Forestry  for  Farmers."  See 
also  "The  Winter  Food  of  Chickadees"  and  "The  Feeding  Habits  of 
the  Chipping  Sparrow,"  by  Clarence  M.  Weed,  Agricultural  Experi- 
ment Station,  Durham,  N.  H. 


CHAPTER  II 

PROVIDE  NESTING  BOXES,  AND  DO  NOT  CUT  DOWN 
EVERY  HOLLOW  TREE 

General  Directions.  —  The  best  way  to  attract  those 
birds  that  breed  in  hollow  trees  and  in  other  cavities, 
is  to  allow  old  hollow  trees  to  remain.  Should  a  dead 
tree  disfigure  your  place,  plant  wild  grape  vine,  Vir- 
ginia creeper,  or  some  other  suitable  climbing  vine  near 
it ;  the  vines  will  soon  cover  it,  you  keep  the  birds,  and 
they  are  not  compelled  to  go  house  hunting,  which  they 
like  no  better  than  men. 

Where  no  hollow  trees  and  posts  exist,  we  must  help 
out  by  nesting  boxes.  Set  your  boys  and  girls  to  make 
these  boxes  and  I  must  be  much  mistaken,  if  such  work 
will  not  make  them  real  and  enthusiastic  bird  protectors. 
In  most  cases  it  will  however  be  necessary  that  an  older 
person  direct  the  work  and  assist  in  it.  By  far  the 
best  material  for  bird  boxes  are  sections  of  hollow 
trunks  and  limbs,  having  a  cavity  from  3  to  8 
inches  in  diameter.  Boards  and  slabs  with  the  bark 
are  almost  as  good.  Where  such  material  is  not  obtain- 
able, use  rough-sawed,  weathered,  one-inch  boards. 
Bird  boxes  should  not  be  made  of  new  boards  and 
should  generally  not  be  planed  and  painted.  If  you 
D  33 


34  OUR   NATIVE  BIRDS 

have  to  take  newly  sawed  lumber,  rub  the  boards  with 
moist  earth.  Limbs  and  trunks  may,  of  course,  be  bored 
out,  or  they  may  be  ripped  first,  then  a  cavity  cut  out, 
and  the  two  halves  screwed  together  again,  but  these 
boxes  are  likely  to  open  along  the  joints  unless  very 
carefully  made.  Do  not  nail  false  bark  on  the  boxes ; 
it  is  never  quite  tight  and  only  harbors  bird  parasites. 
It  is,  however,  advisable  to  fasten  the  bark  on  summer 
cut  wood  with  small  nails.  On  wood  that  was  cut  in 
late  autumn  or  in  winter,  the  bark  adheres  naturally. 
The  wood  of  rough-barked  deciduous  trees  is  best  for 
bird  boxes,  but  any  kind  of  wood  may  be  used. 

The  width  of  the  entrance  hole,  the  location  of  the 
box,  and  its  height  from  the  ground  must  receive 
careful  attention.  Birds  do  not  like  to  approach  their 
nests  over  wide  open  spaces.  The  old  nesting  material 
should  not  be  removed  from  the  boxes,  the  birds  will 
attend  to  that  themselves.  The  boxes  must  not  be 
exposed  to  the  noon  and  afternoon  sun,  and  small 
openings  should  be  left  between  top  and  cover  to 
secure  ventilation. 

It  is  absolutely  necessary  to  fasten  the  boxes  well. 
If  they  are  shaky  and  are  rattled  by  the  wind,  or  if 
branches  and  twigs  strike  against  them,  the  birds  will 
not  use  them.  The  fastening  may  be  done  by  means 
of  strong  wires,  nails,  or  screws,  the  method  depending 
somewhat  on  the  value  of  the  tree  to  which  the  box 
is  to  be  fastened. 

Some  of  the  best  European  observers  advocate  sur- 
rounding the  boxes  of  titmice  and  wrens  with  thorns. 


PROVIDE   NESTING   BOXES  35 

Twigs  of  our  wild  haws  and  plums  will  answer  this 
purpose.  They  should  be  securely  nailed,  screwed, 
or  otherwise  fastened  so  as  to  protect  the  entrance 
holes  against  cats,  crows,  squirrels,  jays,  and  shrikes. 
It  would  pay  to  find  by  experiment  how  our  titmice, 
bluebirds,  wrens,  and  nuthatches  take  to  boxes  thus 
protected. 

A  pair  of  house  wrens  nested  for  several  years  in  a 
box  which  I  had  nailed  to  a  thin,  peeled  pole,  about  12 
feet  from  the  ground  and  placed  near  young  trees 
about  20  feet  high.  The  pole  was  too  thin  and  too 
smooth  for  the  cats. 

Another  good  way  to  protect  the  boxes  from  cats  is 
to  surround  the  tree  about  5  feet  from  the  ground,  or 
just  below  the  branches,  with  several  coils  of  some  kind 
of  barbed  wire  about  2  feet  wide.  The  closer  the 
barbs  are  placed,  the  more  effective  is  the  protection. 
Take  two  narrow  pieces  of  board  or  lath,  tack  them, 
one  above  the  other,  to  the  tree  by  their  upper  ends  ; 
then  nail  the  end  of  the  barbed  wire  to  the  tree  with 
a  steeple  tack.  Wind  the  wire  around  the  tree  and 
boards  as  shown  in  the  figure,  and  fasten  the  lower 
end  of  the  wire  to  the  last  coils.  Next  fasten  the 
barbed  wire  coil  to  the  lower  branches  by  means  of 
a  smooth  wire,  then  draw  the  nail  holding  the  laths 
and  pull  out  the  laths.  In  this  way  we  procure 
elastic  barb  wire  coils,  which  may  remain  on  the 
tree  for  a  number  of  years  without  hindering  its 
growth. 

The  entrance  holes  should  be  turned  away  from  the 


36 


OUR   NATIVE   BIRDS 


prevailing  rain  storms.  On  buildings,  the  east  side 
is  the  most  desirable,  but  the  north  side  will  also  do, 
if  protected  by  an  overhanging  roof.  The  south  and 

west  sides  are  likely  to 
be  too  hot  unless  they 
are  shaded.  No  box 
will  be  occupied  that 
is  readily  accessible  to 
cats. 

Special  Directions.  — 
Measurements  are  given 
in  inches  unless  other- 
wise stated. 

1.  Titmice,  Chicka- 
dees, and  Wrens. — In- 
side measurement  of  box 
about  7x5x5,  place 
it  against  out-buildings 
or  on  trunks  and  limbs 
of  trees  from  6  to  12 
feet  high.  Size  of  en- 
trance about  1^  inches 

in  the  middle  of  the  board,  a  little  widened  both  toward 
the  inside  and  the  outside.  Nail  a  little  last  |  an  inch 
below  the  entrance.  If  the  hole  is  too  large  the  English 
sparrows  will  move  in,  if  too  small  you  are  likely  to  have 
wasps  or  bees  as  your  renters.  The  birds  referred  to 
will  not  nest  near  the  gathering  places  of  English  spar- 
rows. I  have  observed  the  house  wren  build  in  a  box 
that  had  the  entrance  in  one  of  the  lower  corners  with 


FIG.  6.  —  TREE  TRUNK  WITH  BARB 
WIRE  COILS. 


PROVIDE   NESTING  BOXES  37 

the  bottom  board  projecting  a  few  inches  and  forming 
a  platform. 

2.  Nuthatches  and  Creepers.  —  Inside  measure  of  box 
about  20  x  6  x  6,  place  it  on  trees  from  12  to  25  feet 
above  the  ground,  rough  inside  and  outside,  no  perch  on 
the  outside,  entrance  from  1J  to  2  inches  in  diameter. 

3.  Woodpeckers. — Quite   a  few  of  these  birds  are 
likely  to  avail  themselves  of  nesting  boxes,  if  made  of 
hollow  trunks  and  limbs  or  of  wood  with  the  natural 
bark   on  it.     The  boxes  may  be  from   10  x  5  x  5  to 
36  x  7  x  7  inside  measure,  the   entrance  from  2  to  4 
inches  in  diameter.     Place  the  boxes  on  trees  from  10 
to  25  feet  high,  supply  no  perches  and  no  thorns.     I 
have  found  the  flicker's  nest  4  feet  from  the  ground 
in  an  old  cottonwood  tree,  in  a  cavity  only  about  a  foot 
deep  ;  and  with  an  entrance  large  enough  for  any  man's 
fist.     This  nest  was  in  a  prairie  grove,  where  the  cotton- 
wood  was  the  only  hollow  tree.     A  pair  of  red-headed 
woodpeckers  once  built  their  nest  in  a  telegraph  pole 
on  a  much-frequented  street  in  St.  Paul,  Minn.     The 
children  from  one  of  the  public  schools  passed  there 
every  day.     Some  boys  climbed  to  the  entrance  repeat- 
edly, but  the  nest  was  too  deep  to  be  reached,  and  in 
due  time  the  young  appeared  on  the  neighboring  house- 
tops.    The  best  way  to  attract  woodpeckers  is  to  spare 
old  and  hollow  trees. 

4.  Bluebirds.  —  Boxes  of   about   10  x  6  x  6   inside 
measure,  fastened  to  trees   or  posts  near  shrubs  and 
brush,  from  6  to  15  feet  above  the  ground,  entrance 
from  2  to  2J  inches  in  diameter.     Mr.  J.  W.  Taylor  of 


38  OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS 

St.  Paul,  Minn.,  has  had  bluebirds  nesting  in  boxes, 
which  he  had  painted  a  dark  green  so  as  to  harmonize 
with  the  foliage  of  oaks. 

5.  Flycatchers.  — Those  that  live  near  dwellings  fre- 
quently build  on  the  window  caps,  if  they  are  protected 
by  an  overhanging  roof.     The  favorite  nesting  places 
for  the  phcebe  are  the  beams  of  bridges.     The  boys  can 
do  the  birds  a  favor  by  nailing  strips  of  laths  or  pieces 
of  boards  horizontally  to  the   beams.     A   little   shelf 
thus  constructed  under  a  projecting  roof  is  also  readily 
used.     Near  the  nest  must  be  a  convenient  perch  from 
where  the  birds  can  watch  for  flying  insects,  which  they 
can  do  from  wires,  posts,  dead  branches,  and  small  dead 
trees. 

6.  Swallows.  —  Nail  bracket  shelves  to  any  conven- 
ient beams  and  rafters  in  machine  sheds,  corn-bins,  hay- 
lofts, and  barns.     The  boards  used  may  be  from  two  to 
four  inches  wide.     Sheltered  places  on  the  outside  of 
buildings  are   also   good ;    out-buildings   should   have 
openings  for  the  birds. 

7.  The   Purple   Martin.  —  This  bird   will   nest   in 
almost  any  box  of  the  right  size  in  the  right  place,  it 
will   even   use   boxes  of  planed   and   painted  boards. 
The  inside   measure   should  be  about  10  x  8  x  8,  the 
entrance  about  2J  inches  in  diameter  near  the  top  and 
should  have  no  perches.     They  seem  to  like  a  martin 
house   consisting   of   several  apartments.      The   house 
may  be  fixed  on  a  stout  post  or  on  the  top  of  a  building. 

8.  The  Small  Owls.  —  The  barn  owl,  long-eared  owl, 
barred  owl,  short-eared  owl,  and  screech  owl  are  bene- 


PROVIDE  NESTING  BOXES  39 

ficial  and  should  be  protected.  If  farm  buildings 
have  sufficiently  large  openings,  the  barn  owl  will  enter 
and  look  after  the  mice.  I  suggest  that  experiments  be 
made  with  nesting  boxes  for  them.  The  boxes  should 
vary  in  size  from  16  x  12  x  12  to  18  x  14  x  14.  Use 
some  with  large  side  opening  and  leave  the  others  en- 
tirely open  at  the  top  and  observe  the  results.  The 
boxes  should  be  fastened  in  crotches  of  trees.  Bore  a 
few  small  holes  into  the  bottom  of  the  open  boxes,  so 
that  rain  water  will  not  accumulate  in  them. 

9.  The  Wood  Duck. — This  most  beautiful  and  inter- 
esting of  all  ducks  has  much  decreased  in  Minnesota, 
and  no  doubt  in  all  settled  districts.  Even  where  the 
lakes  still  ripple  and  plash  in  the  June  breeze,  its 
natural  homes,  the  old  and  hollow  trees,  are  gone.  The 
farmers  have  cut  them  for  fuel,  or  some  individual,  who 
styles  himself  hunter  or  trapper,  has  burned  and  cut  the 
hoary  sires  of  the  primeval  forest,  because  a  poor  squir- 
rel, or  a  cottontail,  or  even  a  coon  had  taken  refuge  in 
them. 

Boxes  having  the  natural  bark  on  them,  will  un- 
doubtedly attract  the  wood  duck.  Make  the  boxes  about 
24  x  16  x  16  to  36  x  18  x  18.  They  may  be  provided 
with  side  openings  of  4  to  5  inches  diameter,  or  the  top 
may  be  left  open.  According  to  Masefield,  an  English 
writer,  such  boxes  have  long  been  used  in  Lapland. 
Place  the  boxes  on  trees  in  well-wooded  places  near 
rivers  and  lakes.  Wood  ducks  frequently  build  in 
convenient  crotches  and  on  stumps.  I  would,  therefore, 
suggest  that  some  very  shallow  boxes  be  also  used. 


40  OUR  NATIVE  RIKDS 

The  so-called  ox-bows,  or  old  river  channel,  are  the 
favorite  waters  of  the  wood  duck. 

Concluding  Remarks.  —  I  hope  that  my  readers, 
especially  our  boys  and  girls,  will  experiment  with 
nesting  boxes  for  birds,  so  that  we  soon  may  have 
more  definite  knowledge  on  the  subject.  The  pleasure 
derived  from  such  work  is  a  rich  reward  for  it. 

Every  bird  lover  should  make  good  use  of  his  experi- 
ences. Some  birds,  like  our  purple  martin  and  the 
European  starling,  have  become  accustomed  to  use 
nesting  boxes,  but  most  of  our  native  birds  have  yet  to 
learn  to  live  in  the  "white  man's  houses."  We  must, 
therefore,  not  lose  patience  if  our  boxes  are  not  at  once 
occupied,  but  must  continue  to  observe  and  experiment. 

Magazines  like  Bird  Lore,  The  Auk,  and  others  will 
be  glad  to  publish  the  experience  of  bird  lovers.  I 
have  consulted  the  following  publications  and  refer  my 
readers  to  them  :  — 

1.  Masefield,  Wild  Bird  Protection  and   Nesting  Boxes,   Taylor 

Bros.,  Leeds,  England. 

2.  Liebe,  Nistkasten  fur  Vogel.      Theo.  Hoffmann,  Gera,  Germany, 

One  of  the  best  treatises  on  the  subject. 

3.  Kobelt,  Schutz  den  Vogeln.    Bechtold  &  Co.,  Wiesbaden,  Ger- 

many. 

4.  Voigt,  Unsere  niitzlichen  Gartenvb'gel.      Theo.  Voigt,  Gernrode 

am  Harz,  Germany. 

5.  L.  H.  Bailey,  The  Birds  and  I.      College  of  Agriculture,  Cornell 

University,  Ithaca,  N.  Y. 

The  first  costs  about  50c.,  the  other  three  are  pamph- 
lets which  can  be  had  for  about  15c.  each.  No.  5  is 


PROVIDE  NESTING  BOXES  41 

very  good  for  boys  and  girls,  because  it  contains  num- 
erous drawings  of  nesting  boxes.  It  is  sent  free  to 
applicants. 

I  shall  be  very  glad  to  receive  suggestions  and 
criticism  from  those  who  experiment  with  nesting 
boxes. 


CHAPTER  III 

PROVIDE  DRINKING  AND   BATHING  FOUNTAINS 

IT  seems  that  the  question  of  water  supply  has  received 
little  attention  in  the  study  of  birds.  The  sudden  dis- 
appearance of  birds  from  our  Western  prairie  groves 
in  July  has  already  been  referred  to.  I  have  observed 
several  species  of  birds  eagerly  drinking  the  water  that 
had  leaked  through  the  cattle  trough;  a  yellow  warbler 
was  seen  to  drink  out  of  a  cup  placed  on  the  top  of 
a  pump,  and  in  one  very  dry  summer  a  great  bittern 
looking  for  water  came  to  a  pump  only  a  few  feet  from 
the  farmhouse.  During  the  same  part  of  the  sum- 
mer all  kinds  of  birds  were  abundant  in  the  small 
prairie  town  of  Litchfield,  Minn.,  where  the  conditions 
for  nesting,  roosting,  food,  and  shelter  were  not  better 
than  on  the  farms ;  but  the  town  has  water-works, 
lawns  and  gardens  were  freely  sprinkled  and  I  often 
observed  the  birds  drinking  on  the  lawns,  spluttering 
in  the  pools,  or  taking  shower  baths  in  the  spray. 

One  December  day  I  came  upon  a  chickadee  that  had 
just  taken  a  bath  in  a  stream,  when  the  temperature  of 
the  air  was  about  25°  F.  The  stream  was  covered  with 
ice  and  snow,  except  where  a  swift  current  had  kept  it 
open.  At  another  time,  when  the  temperature  of  the 
air  was  zero  or  below,  I  saw  a  number  of  house  spar- 

42 


PROVIDE  DRINKING   AND  BATHING  FOUNTAINS      43 

rows  drink  from  an  open  spring.  During  the  cold 
weather  of  February,  1899,  a  flock  of  evening  grosbeaks 
remained  for  weeks  near  an  open  place  of  the  Minnesota 
River.  I  saw  the  birds  feed  on  the  box-elder  seeds 
several  times,  but  never  saw  them  drink.  On  March 
4th,  1899,  I  saw  through  the  window  about  eight  feet 
from  the  point  of  observation,  a  small  flock  of  those 
birds  eat  the  wet,  thawing  snow  in  a  sunny  corner  on 
the  roof  of  my  house.  This  was  about  8:30  in  the 
morning,  when  the  snow  on  the  ground  was  not  at  all 
thawing.  The  nearest  open  water  was  about  two  miles 
away.  Frequently  I  have  observed  house  sparrows 
bathing  in  snow  water  whose  temperature  was  just 
above  freezing. 

All  animals  must  have  water,  unless  they  find  enough 
of  it  in  their  food.  Flesh-eating  and  insect-eating 
birds  may  find  enough  of  it  in  their  food,  seed-eaters 
may  fly  some  distance  to  find  it  or  they  may  strip  the 
dew  off  the  grass  ;  in  the  winter,  they  drink  at  springs 
or  at  other  open  places,  or  eat  snow,  but  there  can  be 
little  doubt  that  they  prefer  water  to  snow. 

Construction  of  the  Bathing  and  Drinking  Basin.  — The 
best  bathing  and  drinking  place  is  a  bank  of  sand  or 
gravel  to  which  the  water  is  supplied  by  a  spring  or 
running  stream.  It  should  have  a  sloping  bottom, 
making  the  water  from  J  to  3  inches  deep.  It  should 
be  close  to  shrubs  and  trees,  thus  affording  ready  shelter 
against  birds  of  prey,  but  there  should  be  no  hiding 
place  for  cats  near  by. 

Where  such  natural  basins  cannot  be  furnished,  dis- 


44  OTJR  NATIVE  BIRDS 

tribute  a  number  of  large  flower  pot  saucers  in  the 
garden  and  in  the  groves.  No  bird  basin  should  be 
glazed.  If  you  wish  a  larger  basin,  construct  one  of 
wood  or  of  corrugated  tin  about  2x3  feet,  and  3 
inches  deep  in  the  middle.  Nail  thin  laths  to  the  in- 
side of  the  wooden  basin  about  2  inches  apart.  Stand 
these  basins  in  a  suitable  excavation,  or  place  a  stone 
or  small  block  of  wood  under  each  corner  to  make  them 
stand  firm,  or  a  small  support  may  be  fixed  below  each 
corner.  The  water  in  such  saucers  and  basins  should 
be  renewed  every  evening  about  sunset  or  early  in  the 
morning.  From  time  to  time  they  must  be  thoroughly 
cleaned.  Boys  and  girls  have  plenty  of  time  to  attend 
to  these  basins,  which  in  dry  weather  should  be  set  out 
as  soon  as  the  birds  arrive  in  spring.  This  is  as  nec- 
essary in  cities  as  in  the  country,  because  we  often  have 
several  weeks  of  dry  weather  during  which  the  birds 
arrive  and  when  lawn  sprinklers  are  not  yet  used. 

A  German  writer,  Otto  Voigt,  recommends  floating 
basins  for  tanks,  ponds,  large  park  basins,  and  streams 
that  offer  no  suitable  sand  or  gravel  banks.  Such  a 
floating  basin  is  constructed  of  willow,  roots,  or  twigs ; 
its  margin  projects  above  the  water  and  the  depth  of 
the  water  is  regulated  by  cork  or  wood  floats  attached 
so  as  to  make  it  from  1  to  3  inches  deep.  Common 
plasterers'  laths  or  old  wash  baskets  will  serve  well  for 
the  construction  of  such  floating  basins.  They  should 
be  anchored  near  protecting  trees  or  shrubs.  From 
time  to  time  they  must  be  cleaned  of  slime  and  algae. 
Artificial  bird  basins  cannot  be  well  used  in  very 


PROVIDE  DRINKING  AND  BATHING  FOUNTAINS      45 

severe  winter  weather,  but  the  natural  basins  will 
certainly  prove  a  great  attraction  for  winter  birds  as 
well  as  for  summer  residents.  The  common  iron  or 


FIG.  7.  —  A  FLOATING  BIRD  BASIN. 


cement  fountains  and  basins  found  in  gardens  and 
parks  attract  but  few  birds,  because  their  sides  are 
generally  steep  and  slippery,  and  the  water  is  too 
deep. 


CHAPTER  IV 

FEEDING    BIRDS    IN    WINTER    AND    IN    UNFAVORABLE 
WEATHER   AT   OTHER   SEASONS 

THE  greater  part  of  this  chapter  has  been  kindly  con- 
tributed by  Mrs.  Elizabeth  B.  Davenport  of  Brattleboro, 
Vt.,  who  has  had  much  experience  in  feeding  birds. 
I  hope  that  especially  many  boys  and  girls  will  follow 
her  precept  and  example. 

"  The  first  thing  in  feeding  birds  is  to  consider  the 
environment,  and  consequently  what  species  are  to  be 
first  invited.  My  surroundings  are  an  apple  orchard, 
with  groves  of  conifers  not  far  off,  and  much  lawn  and 
garden  space.  But  we  are  only  a  hundred  feet  or  so 
from  a  main  street  in  a  closely  settled  village. 

"  I  put  split  bones  in  which  the  marrow  is  accessible 
and  other  bones  with  some  suet  upon  the  apple  tree 
boughs,  and  also  nailed  large  pieces  of  suet  upon  per- 
pendicular trunks.  Chickadees,  nuthatches,  and  downy 
woodpeckers  found  them  almost  immediately.  A  box 
open  only  on  one  side,  and  the  closed  side  turned 
toward  the  prevailing  wind  was  fastened  to  the  trunk 
of  a  tree  some  twenty-five  feet  from  the  house.  An 
additional  board  on  the  top  projected  several  inches  to 
give  still  further  protection.  In  this  box  I  put  cracked 
corn  and  broken  bread.  A  shelf  at  a  near-by  window 

46 


FEEDING   BIRDS  IN  WINTER  47 

contained  suet  and  hemp  seed,  and  a  basket  hung  from 
another  window  contained  only  hemp  seed.  It  was 
but  a  question  of  a  few  weeks  before  the  above  named 
birds  came  as  freely  to  the  windows  as  to  the  trees,  and 
the  blue  jays  were  added  to  the  flock.  The  following 
summer  I  kept  the  suet  replenished  constantly,  and 
such  of  these  birds  as  nested  in  the  vicinity  first  carried 
it  away  to  their  mates  and  young,  and  then  brought 
the  little  broods  for  nearer  feeding.  I  think  the  first 
nest  bird  was  the  purple  finch,  which  came  early  one 
March,  evidently  attracted  by  the  presence  of  those 
already  feeding.  I  value  him  greatly  as  a  decoy,  for 
he  comes  so  early  and  remains  till  November,  is  here  in 
great  numbers  and  so  continuously  that  other  birds 
follow  him,  and  so  I  have  many  migrants  which  would 
otherwise  not  be  called  in.  During  the  season  of 
migration  I  keep  hemp  seed  and  seeds  of  maple  and 
ash  scattered  at  some  distance  from  the  house,  to  lure 
the  stragglers  to  drop  down.  If  we  have  a  crust  on 
the  snow  in  winter,  I  take  advantage  of  this  also. 

"  In  the  winter  when  my  flock  was  largest  it  numbered, 
besides  those  already  mentioned,  the  hairy  woodpecker, 
the  American  creeper,  the  pine  siskins,  redpolls,  pine 
grosbeaks  and  slate-colored  juncoes.  Under  stress 
of  weather,  a  crow  and  a  screech  owl  also  came 
down,  and  over  forty  tree  sparrows  formed  a  part  of 
the  flock  from  November  till  April.  As  the  winter 
passed  and  the  migrants  came,  the  white-throated  and 
white-crowned  sparrows,  and  fox  sparrows,  juncoes, 
and  red-breasted  nuthatches  stopped  by  the  way,  and 


48  OUR   NATIVE   BIRDS 

then  summer  residents  reenforced  the  ranks  thinned  by 
the  onward  passage  of  the  migrants.  Both  quail  and 
ruffed  grouse  have  come  to  feed  in  places  where  food 
has  been  placed  for  them  in  suitable  places  by  other 
residents  of  this  town.  What  I  have  just  related  refers 
to  the  winter  of  1895  and  1896,  before  the  English 
sparrow  invaded  my  premises.  Since  that  time  the 
birds  have  decreased  in  number,  but  not  in  species, 
because  of  necessarily  changed  conditions,  for  I  have 
been  obliged  to  deal  with  that  disconcerting  factor  in 
some  measure  ever  since  the  above  date. 

"  I  will  not  particularize  the  different  food  for  differ- 
ent birds,  but  say  generally,  those  living  largely  upon 
larvae  of  insects  all  take  the  suet.  The  pine  grosbeaks 
would  never  eat  anything  but  seeds  of  maple  and  ash, 
often  digging  them  from  the  frozen  ground.  The 
purple  finches  preferred  to  everything  else  the  hemp 
seed;  next,  the  sunflower  seed.1  The  other  seed-eaters 
will  take  corn,  suet,  nuts,  and  bread.  In  the  summer 
much  soaked  bread  is  carried  and  fed  to  young,  and 
the  robins  and  orioles,  song  sparrows,  and  chipping 
sparrows  are  fond  of  it.  Wheat  bread  grows  so  hard 
when  frozen  that  in  winter  I  use  bread  made  of  two- 
thirds  corn  meal  and  one-third  wheat.  This  crumbles 
so  fine  that  freezing  makes  less  difference.  But  all 
prefer  the  wheat  bread. 

"  When  we  have  a  thaw  in  winter  my  flock  disperses 

1 1  have  observed  large  flocks  of  purple  finches  feed  on  the  seeds  of 
burdock  in  spring.  The  birds  picked  the  seeds  from  the  ground  and 
stayed  from  one  to  two  weeks  in  the  same  locality.  —  [AUTHOR. 


FEEDING   BIRDS   IN   WINTER  49 

or  becomes  smaller,  but  previous  to  a  storm  and  in 
stress  of  weather  the  birds  are  about  continually.  I 
began  this  work  from  love  of  the  companionship  of 
these  feathered  friends,  but  the  opportunities  for  study 
are  more  than  one  would  think  at  first.  All  the  per- 
sonality and  individuality  of  the  birds  are  marked, 
and  through  having  them  at  this  short  range,  their  man- 
ner of  handling  food,  changes  of  plumage,  the  bearing 
of  one  species  to  other  species,  and  of  individuals  of 
the  same  species  to  each  other,  open  up  many  lines  of 
inquiry.  After  once  learning  to  take  food  provided 
for  them,  the  birds  will  come  anywhere  for  it,  to  win- 
dows on  upper  stories,  to  windows  under  deep  piazzas, 
or  into  the  house,  if  offered  near  the  windows.  They 
sit  by  the  half  hour,  if  their  kind  permit,  on  the  bas- 
kets or  boxes,  and  never  with  an  expectant  eye  indoors 
from  fear.  They  literally  take  possession  of  the  places 
provided,  and  make  you  feel  an  intruder  if  you  inter- 
fere with  their  wishes. 

"  Of  the  experiences  with  individual  birds  which  grew 
to  be  on  really  companionable  terms  with  us  I  cannot 
write,  but  there  are  memories  among  them  not  to  be 
forgotten.  That  the  same  individuals  among  the  mi- 
grants often  return,  I  could  demonstrate  if  space  per- 
mitted. 

"  Should  one  care  to  get  on  specially  familiar  terms 
with  the  birds  fed,  I  would  suggest  feeding  at  regular 
intervals  of  time,  which  they  would  soon  recognize. 
It  has  always  been  my  custom  to  have  food  in  abun- 
dance out  at  night  for  the  early  comers ;  but  when  a 


50  OUR  NATIVE  BIEDS 

snow  storm  had  covered  it,  I  always  went  out  early,  just 
at  dawn,  and  found  that  the  tree  sparrows,  always  the 
earliest  risers,  would  know  me  almost  immediately,  and 
come  up  through  the  orchard.  It  was  a  beautiful  sight 
as  they  flitted  leisurely  from  tree  to  tree,  nearer  and 
nearer,  with  gentle  call  notes,  dropping  down  one 
by  one  at  first,  then  more  and  more  rapidly,  till  the 
whole  flock  were  close  about  my  feet.  This  was  the 
only  time  in  the  day  when  they  fed  quietly.  The  first 
edge  of  hunger  off,  and  it  was  a  panorama  of  flashing 
wings  pursuing  and  pursued,  and  all  the  time  their 
musical  notes  of  protest  and  aggression  filling  the  air, 
for  they  are  birds  who  have  no  notes  but  those  of  music. 
In  February,  at  sunrise,  they  would  begin  to  sing  softly ; 
by  the  middle  of  March  the  orchard  was  jubilant. 

"  As  I  write,  a  pair  of  nuthatches  are  at  the  window, 
softly  talking  to  each  other ;  chickadees  come  and  go, 
carrying  the  hemp  seeds  to  the  apple  boughs,  where 
they  deftly  manipulate  them  with  their  toes  while  they 
quickly  penetrate  the  husk  and  take  out  the  living 
germ,  much  more  quickly  than  I  can  write  of  it ;  the 
tree  sparrows  are  rolling  these  same  hemp  seeds  be- 
tween tongue  and  bill  till  the  husk  falls,  opening  by  its 
suture;  and  a  hairy  woodpecker  within  four  feet  of 
me  is  striking  vigorous  blows  at  the  suet  near  by. 

"And  now  for  that  vexed  question  of  the  English 
sparrow !  As  one  lad  put  it,  '  What  do  you  do,  Mrs. 
Davenport,  when  the  English  sparrow  gets  mixed  in?' 
Let  me  preface  my  own  experience  with  this  intruder 
by  an  observation.  This  bird  is  especially  addicted  to 


FEEDING  BIRDS  IN  WINTER  51 

locality;  a  flock  feeding  over  certain  circumscribed 
territory,  and  rarely  beyond  it,  but  breaking  up  into 
detachments  and  moving  on,  only  when  the  original 
flock  has  grown  too  large  for  the  food  there  to  be  ob- 
tained. In  cities,  I  have  known  one  flock  to  frequent 
the  back  yards  of  a  block,  and  never  mix  with  that  on 
the  other  side  of  the  block.  A  friend  here  has  a  large, 
annoying  flock  in  the  grounds  in  front  of  her  house, 
yet  feeds  the  birds  at  the  back  a  few  hundred  feet 
away,  and  on  the  south  side,  and  yet  not  one  English 
sparrow  has  troubled  her.  Should  they  by  accident 
discover  her  food,  I  think  her  battle  will  be  imminent. 
It  was  a  number  of  years  before  they  discovered  me. 
At  first  I  kept  them  away  by  persistent  driving.  I 
would  whip  the  trees  and  send  them  all  away,  out  of 
the  orchard.  After  a  week  or  two,  that  answered  for 
the  season,  unless  a  hard  storm  came  on.  But  I  made 
a  business  of  it,  did  not  drive  one  day  or  one  hour  and 
then  relax  my  vigilance,  but  kept  up  a  continuous  war- 
fare. Unfortunately  my  neighbors  on  either  side  per- 
mitted them  to  nest  on  their  premises,  and  my  troubles 
became  multiplied  many  times.  The  winter  following 
I  made  a  compromise  with  them,  —  I  kept  cracked  corn 
at  some  distance  from  the  windows  in  boxes  on  the 
trees  and  on  the  ground.  In  the  spring  I  could  not 
keep  anything  on  the  ground  for  the  migrants ;  it  was 
devoured  immediately,  and  I  saw  that  I  must  either 
dispose  of  the  sparrows  or  curtail  my  feeding  area  and 
so  lessen  my  flock.  I  chose  the  latter,  and  brought  the 
food  to  the  windows  and  there  watched  it,  not  letting 


52  OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS 

even  one  sparrow  alight,  and  always  driving  them  from 
the  trees  when  I  could.  For  two  years  this  has  worked 
well,  but  what  any  season  may  bring  forth,  I  cannot 
tell.  I  find,  too,  that  suet  put  on  the  under  side  of 
boughs  which  incline  about  forty -five  degrees,  provid- 
ing the  bough  be  a  good-sized  one,  is  safe  from  this 
bird,  while  any  other  can  easily  get  it. 

"  One  of  my  friends  shot  two  last  spring,  and  the  flock 
left  till  this  winter.  Then  she  shot  a  third,  and  they 
have  not  returned. 

"Pans  of  water  for  bathing  and  drinking  are  always 
near  the  house,  and  I  cannot  advocate  too  strongly 
their  use  to  the  bird  lover.  I  use  dripping-pans  painted 
inside  and  outside  to  protect  them  from  rust.  They 
are  about  the  right  depth.  To  these  I  owe  a  glimpse 
of  many  a  rare  warbler,  and  I  think  many  a  bird  comes 
to  them  first  and  then  follows  the  other  feeding  birds. 
I  might  fill  a  small  book  with  the  beautiful  and  inter- 
esting sights  common  there.  The  birds  bathe  even 
after  the  water  freezes  at  night.  In  the  fall  I  have 
counted  over  fifty  robins  within  three  hours,  enjoying 
to  the  full  this  chance  for  a  bath,  and  that  as  I  would 
come  and  go  by  the  windows.  There  is  one  more  dis- 
cordant note  to  be  struck  —  the  cat,  and  worst  of  all, 
the  neighbor's  cat.  The  tramp  cat  might  be  and  should 
be  eliminated.  I  think  if  we  could  have  a  license  law 
for  cats  as  well  as  for  dogs,  this  nuisance  could  be  much 
abated,  but  the  neighbor's  cat  must  be  respected  even 
if  he  does  commit  depredations.  One  friend  prevailed 
on  his  neighbors  to  bell  their  cats,  and  so  the  birds  had 


FEEDING   BIRDS   IN    WINTER  53 

some  warning.  But  to  draw  birds  about  the  low  win- 
dows, where  they  soon  grow  so  unsuspecting  and  so 
occupied  with  feeding  and  each  other,  is  to  draw  them 
into  a  sure  trap  unless  protection  is  offered.  A  high 
woven  wire  can  enclose  a  space  about  the  windows 
effectively.  No  amount  of  vigilance  will  outwit  a  cat. 
Early  and  late  I  find  them  lying  in  hiding,  and  they 
will  spring  upon  the  window-sill  and  take  off  a  bird, 
if  they  can  only  approach  close  to  the  edge  of  the 
house. 

"  In  this  as  in  all  other  things,  the  measure  of  success 
will  depend  upon  the  attention  given  to  it,  and  how 
much  of  one's  real  self  goes  into  it.  Cared  for  to-day 
and  neglected  to-morrow,  failure  will  follow.  Food 
may  be  furnished  and  birds  be  present,  and  little  joy 
flow  to  the  giver.  But  with  a  heart  filled  with  a  love 
for  the  life  all  about  one  and  a  desire  to  solve  such 
questions  as  spontaneously  accompany  nature  work,  I 
know  of  no  other  pursuit  that  brings  richer  rewards. 
There  is  no  side  of  our  character  which  will  not  grow 
finer,  more  tender,  more  reverent  from  the  effort  at  a 
closer  living  to  nature's  heart,  a  sympathetic  study  of 
her  work  all  about  us." 

Mrs.  Davenport's  description  refers  to  feeding  birds 
in  gardens  and  on  lawns  in  a  small  town,  and  the  fol- 
lowing species  have  been  identified  by  her  in  and  near 
her  orchard :  — 

300.     Kuffed  Grouse.  360.     American  Sparrow-Hawk. 

332.  Sharp-shinned  Hawk.  373.     Screech  Owl. 

333.  Cooper's  Hawk.  387.     Yellow-billed  Cuckoo. 


54 


OUR   NATIVE   BIRDS 


388.  Black-billed  Cuckoo. 

393.  Hairy  Woodpecker. 

394.  Downy  Woodpecker. 
402.  Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker. 
412.  Flicker. 

417.  Whippoorwill. 

420.  Nighthawk. 

423.' .  Chimney  Swift. 

428.  Ruby-throated     Hum- 
mingbird. 

444.  Kingbird. 

456.  Phoebe. 

461.  Wood  Pewee. 

467.  Least  Flycatcher. 

477.  Blue  Jay. 

488.  American  Crow. 

495.  Cowbird. 

507.  Baltimore  Oriole. 

509.  Rusty  Blackbird. 

511.  Purple  Grackle. 

51 1&.  Bronzed  Grackle. 

515.  Pine  Grosbeak. 

517.  Purple  Finch. 

521.  American  Crossbill. 

528.  Redpoll. 

529.  American  Goldfinch. 
533.  Pine  Siskin. 

540.  Vesper  Sparrow. 

554.  White-crowned  Sparrow. 

558.  White-throated  Sparrow. 

559.  Tree  Sparrow. 

560.  Chipping  Sparrow. 
567.  Slate-colored  Junco. 
581.  Song  Sparrow. 
585.  Fox  Sparrow. 


587.  Towhee. 

595.  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak. 

598.  Indigo  Bunting. 

608.  Scarlet  Tanager. 

611.  Purple  Martin. 

619.  Cedar  Waxwing. 

621.  Northern  Shrike. 

624.  Red-eyed  Vireo. 

627.  Warbling  Vireo. 

628.  Yellow-throated  Vireo. 

629.  Blue-headed  Vireo. 

636.  Black  and  Wfhite  Warbler. 

645.  Nashville  W'arbler. 

646.  Orange-crowned  Warbler. 
648.  Parula  Warbler. 

652.  Yellow  Warbler. 

655.  Myrtle  Warbler. 

657.  Magnolia  Warbler. 

659.  Chestnut-sided  Warbler. 

661.  Black-poll  Warbler. 

662.  Blackburnian  Warbler. 
667.  Black-throated  Green  War- 
bler. 

672.  Palm  Warbler. 

674.  Oven-bird. 

675.  Water  Thrush. 

681.  Maryland  Yellow-throat. 

685.  Wilson's  Wrarbler. 

687.  American  Redstart. 

704.  Catbird. 

705.  Brown  Thrasher. 
721.  House  Wren. 

726.  Brown  Creeper. 

727.  White-breasted  Nuthatch. 

728.  Red-breasted  Nuthatch. 


FEEDING   BIRDS    IN   WINTER  55 

735.  Chickadee.  756.  Wilson's  Thrush. 

748.  Golden-crowned  Kinglet.  758a.  Olive-backed  Thrush. 

749.  Ruby-crowned  Kinglet.  761.  American  Robin. 
755.  Wood  Thrush.  766.  Bluebird. 

The  numbers  refer  to  the  second  edition  of  the  Check-List  of 
North  American  Birds  published  by  the  American  Ornithologists' 
Union. 

The  only  frequent  winter  visitors  I  have  in  St.  Paul, 
on  a  somewhat  crowded  residence  street,  are  chickadees, 
downy  woodpeckers,  nuthatches,  blue  jays,  and  Eng- 
lish sparrows.  A  few  days  ago,  however,  a  flock  of 
evening  grosbeaks  ate  the  seeds  on  the  only  seed- 
bearing  box-elder  I  have  on  the  lot.  The  number  of 
birds  you  can  attract  is  largely  governed  by  the  local- 
ity and  surroundings.  In  the  middle  and  southern 
states  regular  feeding  will  probably  attract  a  greater 
number  of  species  than  can  be  attracted  in  the 
northern  states  and  in  Canada.  The  best  feeding 
places  are  those  that  have  several  bird  roads  leading  to 
them.  Fringes  of  brush  and  timber  along  streams  and 
lakes,  street  trees,  and  hedges  are  such  bird  roads. 
Feeding  places  should  not  be  disturbed  by  cats,  dogs, 
noise  of  factories,  etc.  A  uniform,  continuous  noise 
disturbs  the  birds  less  than  an  intermittent  noise,  and 
people  passing  at  some  distance  annoy  them  much  less 
than  people  stopping.  In  the  autumn  collect  the  heads 
of  cultivated  and  wild  sunflowers,  just  before  the  seed 
begins  to  drop,  also  collect  hemp  and  ragweeds,  the 
seeds  of  maple,  ash,  box-elder,  birches,  and  other  trees. 
The  stalks  of  sunflowers,  hemp,  and  other  plants  stuck 


56  OUR   NATIVE   BIRDS 

into  the  snow  are  eagerly  sought  by  the  birds  and  afford 
much  pleasure  to  the  observer.  All  seeds  collected  in 
the  autumn  must  be  stored  in  some  place  where  mice 
and  rats  cannot  get  at  them,  or  not  a  kernel  will  be  left. 
Weeds  of  all  kinds  must  not  be  collected  too  late,  or  the 
birds  will  have  -eaten  the  seeds  that  have  not  dropped 
to  the  ground.  Pieces  of  fat  and  suet  nailed  to  boughs 
should  not  be  too  large,  otherwise  the  birds  will  grease 
their  wings  with  them  in  warm  weather  and  with 
greased  wings  they  cannot  fly  well.  No  salted  meat 
should  be  fed.  If  your  children  do  not  know  what  to 
do  on  a  long  winter  evening,  let  them  make  strings  of 
the  seeds  of  cucumbers,  melons,  squash,  and  pumpkins. 
Throw  these  strings  into  the  trees  and  watch  the  fun, 
when  the  birds  discover  them. 

Another  interesting  device  for  feeding  and  observing 
birds  can  be  arranged  as  follows  :  Fasten  a  small  ever- 
green or  a  branch  of  some  other  tree  near  a  convenient 
window,  preferably  in  the  second  story,  as  that  is  safe 
from  cats.  Tie  bits  of  raw,  unsalted  meat,  suet,  split 
walnuts,  and  other  nuts  to  your  tree.  If  you  bore  a 
hole  into  the  shell,  the  split  nut  can  be  firmly  sus- 
pended by  a  string.  After  the  kernel  has  been  eaten 
out,  the  shell  may  be  filled  with  suet.  On  such  trees 
and  branches  chickadees  and  other  birds  will  give  pretty 
gymnastic  performances.  Nearly  all  seed-eating  birds 
are  fond  of  greens.  They  eat  young  herbs  and  tender 
young  grass  just  like  the  domestic  chickens.  I  have 
seen  the  slate-colored  juncoes  feast  on  a  pasture  of  very 
young  knotgrass  or  doorweed,  Polygonum  aviculare, 


FIG.  8.  — THE  BIRDS'  CHRISTMAS  TREE. 


58  OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS 

and  in  early  spring  I  have  seen  the  English  sparrows 
feed  on  the  first  grass  that  was  uncovered  by  the  melting 
of  the  snow.  If  you  children  wish  to  prepare  a  special 
Christmas  treat  for  the  birds,  sow  some  grain  or  grass 
in  boxes  in  late  autumn.  Chop  the  young  grass  or 
grain  quite  fine,  place  it  in  the  usual  feeding  place, 
and  see  how  the  birds  like  it.  It  may  be  that  some  of 
them  will  also  eat  chopped  cabbage  and  kale. 

If  you  feed  the  birds  at  all,  be  sure  you  do  not  for- 
get them  in  sudden  and  severe  snow  storms.  They 
must  sleep  on  trees  or  in  holes,  while  you  are  tucked 
away  in  your  warm  bed.  The  cold  makes  them  very 
hungry,  but  often  all  their  food  is  covered  up  and  they 
cannot  fly  to  other  regions  while  the  storm  lasts. 
Birds  do  not  easily  die  of  cold  alone,  but  they  starve 
in  a  very  short  time.  Sometimes  the  trees,  the  weeds, 
and  the  ground  become  coated  with  ice.  Such  weather 
makes  a  skating-park  of  the  whole  town,  but  it  means 
starvation  to  many  birds  unless  you  feed  them. 

SPECIAL  FEEDING-PLACES  FOR  DIFFERENT  GROUPS 
OF  BIRDS 

1.  Elevated  Boards.  —  Nail  lasts  around  the  edge  of 
a  board  of  convenient  size,  then  nail  the  board  hori- 
zontally to  some  suitable  branches.     Feed  seeds  of  sun- 
flower, pumpkin,  hemp,  timothy,  seed    from   the  hay 
loft,  bits  of  cracked  nuts,  mast,  bits  of  cooked  or  raw 
meat  not  too  salt,  suet,  etc. 

2.  Field  Places.  —  The  food  is  placed  on  the  ground. 


FEEDING   BIKDS   IN   WINTER  69 

The  location  should  be  near  some  trees  or  timber. 
Place  several  rows  of  poles  in  the  ground  radiating 
from  the  feeding  place.  Tie  a  few  weeds,  sunflower 
heads,  thistle  heads,  a  loose  handful  of  hay  or  straw  to 
the  poles.  These  poles  serve  as  finger  posts  to  the 
birds.  Feed  seed  from  the  hay  loft,  waste  and  small 
grain,  cracked  corn,  etc. 

3.  Carrion  Places.  —  A  German  writer,  K.  T.  Liebe, 
advises  that  spoiled  meat,  entrails,  butchers'  offal,  and 
any  kind  of  dead  animal  be  placed  on  the  ground  on 

.  open  heights  at  considerable  distances  from  farms, 
houses,  and  villages.  According  to  numerous  reports 
such  food  has  served  to  protect  partridges  and  small 
birds  from  the  depredations  of  hawks,  crows,  ravens, 
jays,  and  magpies.  It  has  also  offered  good  opportuni- 
ties for  decimating  species  that  had  become  too  numer- 
ous and  for  procuring  rare  specimens.  Having  made 
no  observations  on  this  point,  I  do  not  venture  to  say 
what  benefit  or  injury  may  result,  but  should  be  very 
glad  to  hear  from  those  who  may  try  this  plan. 

4.  Feeding  Prairie-Chickens,  Ruffed  Grouse  or  Par- 
tridge,  and   Quail.  —  In   severe    winters    with    heavy 
snowfall,  quail  and  grouse  sometimes  die  by  the  hun- 
dred, especially  in  the  prairie  states.     Quails,  if  not 
molested,  become  very  tame,  and  a  good  place  to  feed 
them   is    under   the   corn  bin   or  under  some    similar 
shelter,  where  no  cat  can  spring  upon  them.     I  have 
seen  large  flocks  of  them  under  the  corn  bin  near  a 
farmhouse.     Prairie-chickens  are  much  wilder.     They 
will  naturally  come  to  a  place  where  some  shocks  of 


60 


OUR   NATIVE  BIRDS 


corn,  cornstalks,  or  uncut  corn  are  left  on  the  field. 
If  the  place  is  sheltered  from  prevailing  winds  and 
near  some  brush  and  timber,  it  will  prove  a  very 


FIG.  9.  —  A  FEEDING  HOUSE  FOR  BIRDS. 


FEEDING  BIRDS   IN   WINTER  61 

attractive  feeding  ground.  The  ruffed  grouse  will 
most  likely  frequent  it  also.  Feed  all  kinds  of  wheat 
and  grain  cleanings,  light  grain,  cracked  corn,  sun- 
flower seed,  seed  from  hay  lofts,  and  any  kind  of  rather 
large  seed.  From  time  to  time,  a  little  unsalted  chopped 
boiled  meat  may  be  given.  The  birds  will  probably 
appreciate  chopped  cabbage  leaves  and  kale,  when  they 
cannot  get  any  grass  or  greens.  This  is  a  matter  in 
which  not  only  bird  lovers  but  particularly  sportsmen 
are  interested.  As  these  birds  flock  together  in  the 
.winter,  it  would  be  an  easy  matter  to  help  a  whole  flock 
through  severe  weather  and  keep  a  whole  township 
well  stocked.  A  few  years  ago  an  early  winter  sur- 
prised the  farmers  of  southern  Minnesota  and  much 
corn  was  left  unhusked.  Flocks  of  prairie-chickens, 
numbering  hundreds  of  individuals,  soon  gathered  on 
these  fields  and  staid  near  them  all  winter. 

5.  Feeding  Birds  in  Public  Parks. — Nothing  special 
need  be  said  under  this  heading.  The  person  wishing 
to  undertake  the  work  can  get  information  from  the 
preceding  pages.  I  hope  that  many  public  parks  may 
systematically  take  up  the  work  of  bird  protection;  It 
seems  to  me  that  our  Agricultural  Experiment  Stations, 
most  of  which  are  very  favorably  situated  and  are 
equipped  with  intelligent  workers,  could  do  good  work 
along  this  line.  Through  them,  reliable  and  specific 
information  on  the  subject  could  be  gathered  for  all 
sections  of  the  country, 


CHAPTER   V 

MISCELL  ANEOU  S 

Nesting  Material,  Dust  Baths,  Gravel,  and  Lime.  — In 
city  parks  and  on  city  lots  it  may  frequently  be 
desirable  to  provide  nesting  material  besides  nesting 
places.  While  our  towns  at  large  are  mostly  painfully 
dirty,  certain  streets,  parks,  and  lots  are  kept  clean. 
In  such  places  the  birds  will  readily  make  use  of  horse 
hairs  from  old  mattresses,  bits  of  threads,  rags,  tufts 
of  wool,  cotton,  flax,  pieces  of  hay,  straw,  and  other 
similar  material.  A  Baltimore  oriole  that  was  in  need 
of  material  for  nest  building  tried  hard  to  pull  his  supply 
of  strings  out  of  a  minnow  net,  which  lay  only  a  few  feet 
from  a  boat-house.  When  some  strings  were  placed  on 
the  ground,  he  used  them  at  once.  The  same  bird  re- 
paired his  nest,  after  a  storm  had  badly  damaged  it. 

Many  birds  like  to  take  a  dust  bath  even  in  winter. 
Common  road  dust  or  pulverized  garden  soil  is  good 
for  such  use,  and  a  supply  of  it  should  be  provided 
before  the  ground  freezes  at  the  beginning  of  winter. 
Set  shallow  dust  receptacles  to  their  rim  into  the 
ground  in  sunny  places,  protected  like  drinking  foun- 
tains. All  gallinaceous  birds  are  fond  of  dust  baths. 
I  have  also  seen  the  brown  thrush  enjoy  one,  and  have 
repeatedly  observed  the  house  sparrows  trying  to  bathe 
in  dust  on  dry  ground  that  was  frozen  hard  and  solid. 

62 


MISCELLANEOUS  63 

In  wild  and  unsettled  districts  I  have  often  found  the 
dust  baths  of  native  sparrows  in  dry,  sunny  places  on 
old  unused  lumber  roads. 

Nearly  all  birds,  excepting,  I  believe,  the  birds  of 
prey,  swallow  pieces  of  gravel  or  grit.  Aquatic  birds, 
shore  birds,  and  seed-eaters  are  evidently  most  in  need 
of  it.  I  have  seen  the  house  sparrow  pick  gravel  from 
the  ice  and  snow  on  city  sidewalks,  when  the  tempera- 
ture was  about  zero,  and  once  on  a  warm  August 
evening  I  observed  a  flock  of  about  three  hundred 
\  blackbirds  picking  up  a  dessert  of  gravel  after  they 
had  returned  from  their  field  feeding  grounds  and  just 
before  they  retired  to  roost  in  the  rushes.  Some  gravel 
should,  therefore,  be  placed  near  all  feeding  places. 

The  egg  shells  of  birds  consist  of  lime  which  the 
birds  take  into  their  bodies  with  food  or  water.  In 
the  egg-laying  season  the  body's  demand  for  lime  is 
so  great  that  domestic  birds  will  eat  bits  of  marble, 
limestone,  crushed  oyster  and  clam  shells,  and  the. 
shells  of  their  own  eggs.  It  is  quite  likely  that  wild 
birds  also  need  an  extra  amount  of  lime  in  spring,  and 
I  would  suggest  that  it  be  scattered  in  bits  as  large  as 
ground  coffee  near  their  feeding  places.  Crushed 
burnt  bones  and  crushed  egg  shells  will  probably 
answer  the  purpose  very  well,  and  can  be  prepared 
by  everybody. 

See:  Liebe.     Futterplatze  fur  Vogel  im  Winter.     Theodore  Hoff- 
mann, Gera,  Germany. 

Borggreve.      Die   Vogelschutzfrage.      Hugo    Voigt,   Leipsic, 
Germany. 


CHAPTER   VI 

PROTECTING  THE  BIRDS   FROM   THEIR  NATURAL 
ENEMIES 

Cats.  —  The  foremost  place  among  all  song  bird 
destroyers  must,  as  we  have  already  said,  be  assigned 
to  the  house  cat,  this  half- wild  beast  of  the  woods  that 
climbs  roofs  as  well  as  trees  and  never  learns  to  dis- 
tinguish between  birds  and  mice. 

The  most  injurious  cat  in  country  districts  is  the 
feralized  cat,  one  that  has  returned  to  a  wild  life  in  the 
woods.  This  creature  lives  on  mice,  gophers,  birds, 
and  eggs.  Young  birds  and  eggs  are,  however,  much 
easier  to  catch  than  gophers  and  mice,  and  therefore 
he  lives  largely  on  birds  and  eggs  during  the  summer 
months.  Ground  birds  naturally  suffer  most  by  their 
destructiveness.  These  cats  should  be  shot,  trapped, 
or  poisoned  by  every  lover  of  birds  and  by  every 
sportsman.  Some  of  them  come  to  farmhouses  in 
very  severe  weather.  Such  occasions  afford  a  good 
opportunity  to  the  farmer  boy  for  the  use  of  his  gun. 
I  have  heard  of  a  pair  of  such  feralized  cats  living  in  a 
skunk  hole  during  the  severe  winter  of  1898-99. 

In  town,  city,  and  country,  we  have  the  tramp  cat, 
which  goes  from  farm  to  farm,  or  from  house  to  house, 

64 


ENEMIES   OF   BIKDS  65 

as  its  inclination  dictates.  Any  method  to  eliminate 
these  tramps,  as  Mrs.  Davenport  puts  it,  is  perfectly 
proper.  All  cats  habitually  prowling  about  in  fields, 
woods,  and  parks,  should  be  killed.  They  are  nefari- 
ous bird  slayers,  that  use  human  habitations  as  the 
base  of  their  operations. 

The  next  cat  is  your  own  dear  kitty,  who  sleeps 
under  the  stove  all  day,  never  scratches  or  bites, 
when  baby  pulls  her  ears  or  pinches  her  tail,  and  is 
too  sweet-tempered  to  hurt  the  mice  in  your  pantry. 
-  Some  men  and  dogs  have  been  known  to  lead  double 
lives,  but  cats  all  lead  double  lives.  Some  cats,  it  is 
true,  will  catch  mice,  but  in  most  city  houses  mice  can 
by  controlled  by  good  masonry  and  carpentry  and 
by  traps  and  poison.  On  farms  and  in  large  barns 
good  mouse  cats  are  useful  and  often  necessary,  but, 
if  you  care  for  the  birds,  then  do  not  keep  more  cats 
than  you  need,  feed  them  regularly,  and  promptly  dis- 
pose of  all  that  show  marked  bird-hunting  proclivities. 
A  license  law  for  town  cats  would,  as  has  been  said, 
be  a  good  thing,  but  I  fear  that  it  could  not  be 
enforced.  It  would  also  tend  to  expose  the  advocates 
of  bird  protection  to  some  ridicule,  which  at  present 
would  be  very  undesirable  for  the  cause.  To  one  who 
will  go  to  the  expense  and  trouble,  I  recommend  a  fence 
of  wire  netting  from  6  to  8  feet  high.  Near  the  upper 
edge  of  this  netting  fasten  from  6  to  10  wires,  with 
close,  sharp  barbs.  The  space  between  the  barb  wires 
should  be  from  ^  to  1  inch  wide.  Another  way  would 
be  to  nail  to  the  posts  cross  pieces  from  10  to  18 


66  OUR   NATIVE   BIKDS 

inches  long.  These  pieces  should  project  at  right 
angles  to  the  outside.  Connect  these  cross  pieces  by 
closely-drawn  wires  or  by  wire  netting.  A  few  barbed 
wires  should  be  strung  along  the  outer  horizontal  edge 
of  this  fence.  Cover  the  outer  ends  of  the  cross  pieces 
by  a  coil  of  barbed  wire.  A  fence  of  that  kind,  I 
think,  will  keep  out  all  wingless  unbidden  guests. 
The  meshes  in  the  wire  must,  of  course,  not  be  too 
large,  there  must  be  no  holes  left  near  the  ground, 
and  no  posts,  walls,  or  trees  from  which  cats  can  jump 
into  the  enclosure.  The  appearance  of  such  fences 
can  be  much  improved  by  using  them  as  support  for 
annual  climbing  plants,  such  as  the  Mock  Apple,  or 
Wild  Cucumber,  Micrampelis  lobata,  Green.  In  fact, 
any  ornamental  climber  which  grows  in  your  sections, 
and  does  not  form  wood  enough  for  cats  to  climb  on, 
will  answer  the  purpose.  Instead  of  wire  netting,  a 
strong,  well-tarred  fish  net  6  feet  or  more  in  height 
may  be  used  with  good  results.  From  time  to  time 
the  net  must  receive  a  fresh  application  of  tar. 

Nests  on  trees  may  be  protected  in  the  following 
way  :  unravel  a  piece  of  rope,  until  you  have  a  string 
of  loose  fibres.  Wind  several  coils  of  this  around 
the  tree,  and  then  cover  the  coils  of  rope  with  a 
thick  coating  of  tar.  Fresh  applications  of  tar  must 
be  made  as  they  become  necessary.  The  tarred  rope 
also  keeps  caterpillars  from  crawling  up  the  trees. 

Another  means  of  preventing  cats  from  climbing 
trees  is  the  following  ;  cut  a  piece  of  wire  netting 
on  the  bias  and  fasten  it  to  the  trunk  like  a  hat  rim. 


ENEMIES   OF    BIRDS 


6T 


The  cut  end  of  the  wires  pointing  downward  form  an 
effective  barrier  against  adventurous  tabbies. 

Various  plans  are  suggested,  because  not  every 
one  is  equally  well  adapted  to  all  surroundings. 
A  mother  who  tries  hard  to  keep  a  little  girl's  frocks 
moderately  clean,  might  reasonably  object  to  the 
tarred  net  fence. 


FIG.  10.  —  A  CAT-PROOF  FENCE.    SEEN  FROM  THE  INSIDE. 

Dogs  hunting  without  their  master  also  destroy 
the  nests  and  young  of  ground  birds.  In  cities  and 
towns  a  rigid  enforcement  of  the  license  law  will 
prevent  most  of  such  nuisances.  In  the  country 
every  bird  lover  must  look  after  his  own  dogs,  and 
against  his  neighbors'  dogs  he  must  employ  such 
means  as  neighborly  feeling,  law,  and  discretion  allow 
him  to  use. 


68  OtiR   NATIVE   BIRDS 

Squirrels  and  Chipmunks.  —  It  is  well  proved  that 
these  animals,  especially  the  red  squirrel,  destroy 
many  eggs  and  young  birds.  As  every  bird  lover 
is  generally  a  lover  of  all  nature,  he  must  decide 
whether  he  will  sacrifice  some  birds  and  keep  the 
squirrels  and  chipmunks,  or  whether  he  will  restrict 
himself  to  birds,  and  shoot  the  amusing,  frisky  little 
rodents. 

Weasels,  Minks,  Skunks,  Foxes,  etc.  —  In  regard  to 
these  animals,  I  would  say,  from  the  bird  lover's  point 
of  view,  let  nature  alone.  The  birds  must  have  some- 
body to  look  out  for  and  to  keep  their  wits  sharpened. 
For  my  own  part,  I  could  not  enjoy  living  in  a  world 
that  was  inhabited  exclusively  by  very  good  people  and 
by  very  sweetly  singing  birds.  Let  us  keep  some  of 
the  wild  Indian  creatures  about  us. 

Hawks,  Owls,  Crows,  and  Jays.  —  The  United  States 
Department  of  Agriculture,  in  an  admirable  pamphlet 
called  "  Hawks  and  Owls  from  the  Standpoint  of  the 
Farmer,"  has  shown  conclusively  that  of  about  fifty 
species  of  hawks  and  owls  investigated,  only  four 
common  United  States  species  are  actually  injurious. 
These  are  the  duck  hawk,  the  sharp-shinned  hawk, 
Cooper's  hawk,  and  the  goshawk.  About  ten  species 
are  wholly  beneficial,  thirty  are  chiefly  beneficial,  and 
in  seven  the  beneficial  and  harmful  qualities  balance. 
This  shows  that  nobody  should  kill  a  hawk  or  an  owl 
unless  he  knows  exactly  what  species  he  kills.  Nine 
times  out  of  ten  the  farmer  kills  one  of  his  best  friends, 
when  he  shoots  a  hawk  or  an  owl. 


ENEMIES   OF   BIRDS  6$ 

That  one  may  still  see  birds  of  prey  nailed  to  barn 
doors,  and  that  owls  are  still  shot  just  to  be  mounted,  is 
a  disgrace  to  people  living  in  a  country  where  knowl- 
edge is  so  accessible  and  is  so  widely  and  liberally 
disseminated.  Let  every  teacher  procure  a  copy  of 
"Hawks  and  Owls"  and  of  "Farmers'  Bulletin,  No. 
54,  Our  Common  Birds,"  and  then  let  every  boy  be  in- 
formed about  the  hawks  and  owls  his  seniors  may  want 
him  to  shoot.  I  know  from  experience  that  such  teach- 
ing is  very  generally  effective  with  the  boys.  Only  a 
few  months  ago  a  boy  begged  me  to  spare  a  great 
horned  owl  which  he  thought  I  intended  to  kill  and 
mount.  He  was  overjoyed  to  learn  that  my  taste  about 
mounted  owls  did  not  differ  from  his.  Colleges,  nor- 
mal schools,  and  high  schools  can  do  much  missionary 
work  for  the  good  ,of  the  people  and  for  the  advance- 
ment of  science.  In  many  of  these  schools  a  monthly 
paper  is  published  by  the  pupils.  These  papers  furnish 
valuable  experience  for  a  number  of  the  pupils,  but 
many  of  them  certainly  do  not  appear  to  be  overwhelmed 
with  valuable  reading  matter.  In  nearly  every  one  of 
these  schools  are  a  number  of  boys  and  young  men  who 
take  an  interest  in  natural  sciences,  and  who  would  be 
able  to  conduct  a  natural  science  column  in  the  school 
paper.  Articles  on  bird,  game,  fish,  and  forest  pro- 
tection would  be  appropriate  matter  in  that  column. 
Publications  issued  by  the  United  States  Department 
of  Agriculture,  by  the  state  agricultural  schools,  by 
the  Audubon  societies,  and  other  bodies  might  be 
mentioned  and  briefly  described.  In  cities  that  main- 


TO  OUR  NATIVE  BIKDS 

tain  a  public  library,  new  popular  scientific  books 
might  also  be  referred  to  from  time  to  time.  We  must 
bring  the  results  of  scientific  investigators  home  to  the 
people,  and  here  is  a  field  white  to  harvest  and  more 
workers  are  needed.  Boys  and  girls  will  be  found 
enthusiastic  in  this  kind  of  work,  if  teachers  give  them 
the  necessary  amount  of  encouragement  and  assistance. 
To  act  as  mediators  between  the  people  and  the  univer- 
sities is  one  of  the  noble  missions  of  the  teachers  in 
common  and  secondary  schools.  "  For  life,  not  simply 
for  the  school,"  is  our  motto. 

Do  not  overlook  the  county  newspapers.  Their 
editors  are  generally  intelligent  men  that  are  glad 
to  publish  communications  on  the  topics  just  dis- 
cussed. 

In  conclusion,  I  would  therefore  say  :  Do  not  shoot 
owls,  hawks,  and  eagles.  There  may  be  sweetness  in 
the  twitter  of  the  warbler,  but  there  is  grandeur  in  the 
soaring  of  the  kite  and  majesty  in  the  flight  of  the 
eagle. 

About  crows  and  jays,  it  may  be  said  that  they  un- 
doubtedly are  guilty  of  some  mischief  among  smaller 
birds.  The  crow  must,  however,  be  classed  as  gen- 
erally beneficial,  and  the  jay  will  certainly  be  forgiven 
many  sins  by  those  who  live  where  birds  are  plentiful 
in  summer  but  scarce  in  winter.  During  the  very  cold 
weather  of  January  and  February,  1899,  the  blue  jays 
were  the  only  native  birds  that  called  merrily  from 
trees  and  chimney  tops  in  the  city  of  St.  Paul.  Almost 
daily,  their  sky-blue  plumage  was  displayed  amongst 


ENEMIES  OF  BIRDS  71 

the  brown  oak  leaves,  and  how  interesting  a  sight  it 
was  to  observe  them  carrying  pieces  of  fried-out  leaf 
lard  from  the  veranda  into  their  oak  groves.  The  jays 
also  deserve  credit  for  being  able  to  whip  the  English 
sparrows.  If  you  find  too  many  crows  and  jays  near 
your  homes,  you  can  easily  thin  them  out  or  drive  them 
away. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  ENGLISH  SPAKROW   QUESTION 

THE  multiplication  of  the  English  sparrow  should 
serve  as  a  warning  to  all  people  who  would  introduce 
foreign  birds  to  •  this  continent.  If  North  America 
should  be  once  more  connected  with  Asia  by  a  wide 
isthmus,  the  plant  and  animal  life  of  both  countries 
would  be  deeply  affected.  The  Atlantic  Ocean  is  an 
impassable  barrier  to  most  birds,  and  has  probably 
existed  as  such  a  barrier  since  birds  began  to  sing  in 
the  primeval  forests.  When  we  take  an  animal  or  a 
plant  across  this  wide  barrier,  we  introduce  a  disturb- 
ing factor  into  nature's  household  on  the  continent 
where  the  species  is  introduced.  If  the  new  species 
finds  favorable  conditions,  it  will  multiply  and  spread 
rapidly  until  it  meets  a  new  impassable  barrier.  The 
most  remarkable  illustrations  are  the  English  sparrow, 
or  house  sparrow  in  this  country  and  the  rabbit  in 
Australia. 

The  house  sparrow  affects  European  song  birds  in 
much  the  same  way  that  it  influences  our  own.  As 
far  as  I  know,  it  is  not  claimed  that  it  has  directly 
caused  a  decrease  of  European  birds.  We  need,  there- 
fore, not  be  alarmed  that  it  will  cause  the  disappearance 
of  our  song  birds.  The  enormous  increase  of  the  bird 
in  this  country  is  due  to  the  following  causes  :  — 

72 


THE  ENGLISH  SPAKROW   QUESTION  73 

1.  There  was  certainly  room  for  a  bird  scavenger  in 
our  towns  and  cities,  where  back  yards  and  streets  are 
not  kept  clean. 

2.  The   construction   of    our   houses,    outbuildings, 
lumber  sheds,  railway  depots,  and  other  structures  offer 
almost  unlimited  nesting  facilities. 

3.  We  have  decreased  the  nesting  facilities  of  our 
native  birds  by  cutting  old  trees  and  brush  near  towns 
and  cities.      Our  severely  cut  lawns  and  parks,  with 
few  large  trees  and  very  little  shrubbery,  furnish  suit- 
-able  nesting  and  roosting  places  for  only  a  few  native 
birds. 

4.  The  English  sparrow,  finding  in  the  winter  so 
much  food   in   back    yards,   around    elevators,   mills, 
farm-yards  and  railroad  yards,  is  not  subject  to  the 
decimating  dangers  of  migration,  and  being  hardy  and 
omnivorous,  is  seldom  exposed  to  starvation  during  the 
winter. 

5.  As  it  always  lives  near  human  habitations,  it  is 
little  exposed  to  its  natural  enemies,  except  the  house 
cat.      Its   wariness   and   cunning,    and   an   experience 
extending  over  thousands  of  years,  enable  it  to  almost 
entirely  avoid  this  arch  enemy  of  bird-kind.     I  have 
never  known  an  English  sparrow  to  nest  in  a  place 
readily  accessible  to  cats. 

If  a  severe  snow  storm  begins  on  Saturday,  continues 
over  Sunday,  and  blocks  the  street  traffic  on  Monday, 
then  life  looks  gloomy  for  the  bold  chirpers,  and  many 
of  them  are  starved.  If  a  severe  rain  or  hail  storm 
passes  over  a  town  at  night  before  the  young  have 


74  OUR   NATIVE  BIRDS 

become  hardy,  or  before  the  birds  have  begun  roosting 
under  eaves,  in  sheds,  barns,  and  other  protected  places, 
many  of  them  also  perish.  These  are  about  the  only 
weather  accidents  which  interfere  much  with  them. 

6.  The  bird  is  a  prolific  breeder,  and  an  omnivorous 
feeder.  It  will  take  dead  floating  minnows  out  of  the 
water,  and  catch  insects  on  the  wing  as  well  as  on  the 
ground  and  on  trees ;  it  will  eat  grass  as  well  as  grain 
and  salt  pork,  and,  if  necessary,  it  will  nest  on  all  kinds 
of  trees. 

A  bird  thus  equipped  is  certainly  one  of  the  fittest 
of  all  creatures  that  ever  spread  wings  to  all  kinds  of 
winds,  and  as  long  as  it  lives  under  the  favorable  con- 
ditions just  described  it  will  continue  to  multiply  until 
it  has  filled  the  land. 

Injury  caused  by  the  House  Sparrow.  —  To  the  gar- 
dener and  agriculturist  the  bird  does  about  as  much 
good  as  harm.  I  know  that  it  has  done  much,  for 
instance,  to  control  the  box-elder  leaf  roller  on  my 
trees.  To  the  bird  lover  it  is  mainly  objectionable 
because  by  its  bold,  pugilistic,  and  mobbing  proclivities 
it  drives  away  the  more  desirable  and  beneficial  native 
birds. 

How  can  the  Sparrows  be  kept  in  Check  ?  —  The  com- 
plete extermination  of  the  bird  is  an  impossibility,  and 
state  or  public  bounties  will  only  deplete  the  respective 
treasuries,  without  harming  the  sparrow  to  any  great 
extent.1 

1  See  "Extermination  of  Noxious  Animals  by  Bounties."  Year 
Book  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  1896. 


THE   ENGLISH  SPARROW   QUESTION  75 

I  suggest  the  following  means  for  controlling  them: — 

1.  We  must  keep  our  streets,  back  yards,  and  farm- 
yards as  free  as  possible  from  waste  grain  and  offal. 

2.  Do  not  allow  them  to  nest  on  your  premises. 

3.  Do  not  allow  them  to  roost.     In  warm  weather 
they  roost  on  trees,  often  in  large  numbers.     In  cold 
weather  they  seek  more  sheltered  places,  retiring  about 
half  an  hour  before  sunset.     Catch  them,  shoot  them, 
turn  the  hose  on  them,  or  simply  drive  them  away,  and 
they  will  soon  desert  your  premises.     A  small  flock 
that  roosted  on  my  trees  left  for  good  after  they  had 
been  disturbed  three  or  four  times. 

I  think,  however,  that  all  the  means  thus  far  men- 
tioned will  prove  makeshifts  not  permanently  producing 
the  desired  result.  The  only  really  successful  method 
of  fighting  the  sparrow  pest  is  outlined  in  the  following 
communication,  which  Mr.  Frank  Bond,  editor  of  the 
Wyoming  Tribune,  Cheyenne,  Wyo.  has  kindly  placed 
at  my  disposal.  He  writes  as  follows :  — 

"  I  think  it  was  in  the  autumn  of  1889  that  some  of 
our  trap  shooters  imported  a  quantity  of  the  birds  to 
shoot  from  traps,  and,  of  course,  a  number  escaped. 
These  furnished  the  stock  for  future  multitudes.  For 
a  year  very  few  of  the  sparrows  were  seen,  but  as  they 
multiplied  and  became  bolder  with  numbers,  they  soon 
attracted  my  attention.  I  began  shooting  and  poison- 
ing them,  getting  permission  from  the  city  government 
to  pursue  the  work  in  whatever  way  I  thought  desirable. 
Carrying  on  a  regular  campaign,  I  have  succeeded  in 
keeping  their  numbers  so  reduced  that  they  have  not 


76  OTTR   NATIVE   BIRDS 

in  any  way  interfered  either  with  the  pleasure  of  the 
public  or  the  breeding  and  pleasure  of  our  native  birds, 
which  have  increased  greatly  in  numbers  with  the 
growth  of  our  trees  and  parks.  We  were  set  down  in 
the  midst  of  the  '  great  desert '  thirty-two  years  ago, 
with  nothing  larger  than  plain's  grass  to  cast  a  shadow 
in  our  neighborhood.  Our  city  now,  thanks  to  the 
energy  of  her  people,  is  an  oasis,  through  arboriculture, 
and  the  birds  of  the  plains  and  lower  mountains  have 
come  to  dwell  with  us.  It  was  in  their  interest,  in 
great  measure,  that  I  began  the  destruction  of  the 
house  sparrow.  I  think  the  close  of  my  winter's  work 
has  never  left  more  than  thirty  or  forty  birds  uncap- 
tured,  unless  more  than  that  number  escaped  last 
spring.  My  work  this  winter,  1898-99,  has  been  much 
more  successful  than  usual,  for  after  a  thorough  search 
a  short  time  ago,  I  was  able  to  find  only  one  live  sparrow 
in  the  city.  There  may  be  more,  but  there  are  cer- 
tainly not  many. 

"Without  going  into  the  failures  I  have  met  with, 
I  am  satisfied  that  in  this  region  poisoned  whole  wheat 
is  the  most  effective  engine  of  war. 

"I  take  two  small  bottles  of  strychnine,  one  dram 
each,  and  mix  the  contents  with  about  three  quarts  of 
water,  boiling  until  the  poison  is  thoroughly  dissolved, 
using  boiling  water  to  begin  with.  Into  the  hot 
poisoned  water  I  stir  nearly  if  not  quite,  a  peck  of 
wheat,  and  then  set  the  mixture  aside  for  forty-eight 
hours.  The  grain  absorbs  all  the  water  and  swells 
greatly.  I  then  spread  the  grain  over  the  bottom  of 


THE  ENGLISH  SPARROW   QUESTION  77 

a  large  pan,  one  that  will  just  slide  into  my  wife's 
kitchen  range,  keep  the  grain  hot  and  stir  it  frequently 
until  it  is  thoroughly  dried.  The  grain  must  not  be 
scorched  in  the  least,  as  then  the  birds,  especially  the 
old  ones,  will  not  eat  it.  When  the  grain  is  thoroughly 
dried,  it  takes  a  better  expert  than  even  an  English 
sparrow  to  discover  any  change  in  its  appearance.  If 
an  exceeding  deadly  grain  is  wanted  another  dram  of 
the  poison  can  be  used,  but  the  above  will  be  found 
effective.  It  needs  but  one  grain  of  this  wheat  to  kill 
.a  sparrow  in  three  minutes  as  I  have  timed  the  experi- 
ment, and  the  grain  gets  no  farther  than  the  crop, 
sometimes  not  so  far.  I  scatter  the  grain  sparingly 
near  the  roosting  places  of  the  birds  and  in  localities 
where  they  are  accustomed  to  feed.  Snowy,  cold 
weather,  when  there  is  little  bare  ground,  is  the  best 
time.  The  baited  places  should  be  visited  daily,  if 
possible,  and  the  dead  birds  should  be  removed.  You 
will  be  surprised  at  the  killings  you  will  make.  By 
persistent  effort,  you  can  enormously  reduce  their 
numbers,  and  that  is  worth  working  for."1 

5.  If  you  cannot  drive  the  sparrows  away  or  will  not 
poison  them,  you  may  compromise  with  them  by  offer- 
ing nesting  boxes  in  places  attractive  to  them,  and  take 
the  eggs  out  of  them  as  the  sets  are  laid.  In  that  way 
they  can  be  kept  from  multiplying.  The  boxes  may 
be  made  with  a  sliding  or  opening  cover  and  may  be 
placed  where  they  are  accessible  from  attic  or  second 

1  Compare  "The  So-called  Sparrow  War  in  Boston."  Bird-Lore, 
August,  1899,  page  137. 


78  OUR   NATIVE  BIRDS 

story  windows,  which  the  sparrows  have  not  yet  en- 
closed in  their  list  of  proscribed  localities. 

The  destruction  of  the  sparrows  must  not  be  left  to 
small  boys.  In  towns  and  cities  the  work  should  be 
undertaken  by  competent  persons  authorized  or  engaged 
by  the  municipality.  Great  care  must  be  exercised 
in  handling  strychnine. 

Where  the  measures  just  described  are  carried  out, 
the  sparrows  will  not  become  too  numerous  in  gardens, 
in  parks,  and  on  farms.  They  will  be  largely  restricted 
to  the  business  streets  of  towns  and  cities  and  to  other 
localities  that  are  not  inhabited  by  native  birds. 

It  is  not  impossible  that  our  native  birds  will  to  some 
degree  accustom  themselves  to  the  sparrows.  Robins, 
purple  martins,  red-headed  and  downy  woodpeckers,  I 
think,  have  already  learned  to  hold  their  own  success- 
fully. Last  winter  I  watched  a  downy  woodpecker 
examining  a  soft  maple.  A  sparrow  drew  up  very 
close  as  if  he  intended  to  learn  the  downy's  trade ; 
suddenly  the  little  carpenter  turned  upon  his  specta- 
tor and  gave  him  a  vicious  peck,  and  the  sparrow  with- 
drew to  a  more  respectful  distance  without  an  attempt 
at  retaliation. 

Moreover,  the  plucky,  wary  little  creatures  certainly 
deserve  some  consideration  if  not  even  a  little  admira- 
tion. I  must  confess  that  I  prefer  a  flock  of  spar- 
rows in  my  back  yard  to  the  shroud-like  loneliness 
of  snowdrifts ;  and  in  its  habits  and  its  conquest  of  the 
world  the  sparrow  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  most 
interesting  birds.  He  is  an  unequivocal  imperialist 


THE  ENGLISH  SPAKKOW  QUESTION 


79 


and  has  been  most  successful  in  annexing  and  holding 
new  territories.  Still,  if  you  desire  our  beautiful  and 
musical  native  birds  to  live  with  you,  you  must  keep 
down  the  sparrows. 

Mr.  Frank  Bond  has  furnished  me  the  following  list 
of  mostly  western  birds  which  have  been  taken  in  and 
near  the  city  of  Cheyenne,  Wyoming.  None  were 
taken  more  than  three  miles  from  the  city  limits.  A 
large  number  of  these  birds  would  be  more  or  less  an- 
noyed by  the  English  sparrow,  if  that  pest  had  not 
-almost  been  exterminated  at  Cheyenne.  The  numbers 
refer  to  the  second  edition  of  the  Check-List  of  North 
American  Birds  published  by  the  American  Ornitholo- 
gists' Union. 


394a.  Gardner's  Woodpecker. 
404.     Williamson's  Sapsucker. 
406.    Red-headed  Woodpecker. 
408.     Lewis's  Woodpecker. 
413.    Red-shafted  Flicker. 
418.    Poor-will. 
420a.  Nighthawk. 
432.    Broad-tailed  Humming 
bird. 

447.  Arkansas  Kingbird. 

448.  Cassin's  Kingbird. 

454.     Ash-throated  Flycatcher. 
457.     Say's  Phoebe. 
459.    Olive-sided  Flycatcher. 
462.    Western  Wood  Peewee. 
474c.  Desert  Horned  Lark. 
475.     American  Magpie. 
4786.  Steller's  Jay. 


488.  American  Crow. 

491.  Clarke's  Nutcracker. 

492.  Pinon  Jay. 
495.  Cowbird. 

497.  Yellow-headed  Blackbird. 

498.  Bahaman  Red-wing. 
5016.  Western  Meadowlark. 
508.  Bullock's  Oriole. 
510.  Brewer's  Blackbird. 
5116.  Bronzed  Grackle. 
514.  Evening  Grosbeak. 
519.  House  Finch. 

524.  Gray-crowned  Leucosticte. 

528.  Redpoll. 

529.  Holboll's  Redpoll. 

530.  Arkansas  Goldfinch. 

533.  Pine  Siskin. 

534.  Snowflake. 


80 


OUR   NATIVE  BIRDS 


536.  Lapland  Longspur.  621. 

537.  Smith's  Longspur.  622a. 

538.  Chestnut-collared  Long-  624. 

spur.  646. 

539.  McCown's  Longspur.  647. 
540a.  Western  Vesper  Sparrow.  648. 
5426.  Western  Savanna  Spar-  652. 

row.  655. 

552.    Lark  Sparrow.  656. 

559a.  Western  Tree  Sparrow.  661. 

560.  Chipping  Sparrow.  675a. 

561.  Clay-colored  Sparrow.  680. 

562.  Brewer's  Sparrow.  681a. 
567a.  Oregon  Junco.  685. 
568.     Pink-sided  Junco.  687. 
574a.  Sage  Sparrow.  700. 
581a.  Desert  Song  Sparrow.  701. 
583.    Lincoln's  Sparrow.  702. 
588.     Oregon  Towhee.  704. 
596.    Black-headed  Grosbeak.  715. 
599.     Lazuli  Bunting.  721a. 
605.    Lark  Bunting.  726. 

607.  Louisiana  Tanager.  727a. 

608.  Scarlet  Tanager.  728. 

611.  Cooper's  Tanager.  730. 

612.  Cliff  Swallow.  738. 

613.  Barn  Swallow.  749. 

614.  Tree  Swallow.  754. 

616.  Bank  Swallow.  758. 

617.  Rough-winged  Swallow.  761. 

618.  Bohemian  Waxwing.  761  a. 

619.  Cedar  Waxwing.  768. 


Northern  Shrike. 
White-rumped  Shrike. 
Red-eyed  Vireo. 
Orange-crowned  Warbler. 
Tennessee  Warbler. 
Parula  Warbler. 
Yellow  Warbler. 
Myrtle  Warbler. 
Audubon's  Warbler. 
Black-poll  Warbler. 
Grinnell's  Water  Thrush. 
Macgillivray's  Warbler. 
Western  Yellow-throat. 
Wilson's  Warbler. 
American  Redstart. 
Sprague's  Pipit. 
American  Dipper. 
Sage  Thrasher. 
Catbird. 
Rock  Wren. 
Parkman's  Wren. 
Brown  Creeper. 
Mexican  Creeper. 
Red-breasted  Nuthatch. 
Pygmy  Nuthatch. 
Mountain  Chickadee. 
Ruby-crowned  Kinglet. 
Townsend's  Solitaire. 
Russet-backed  Thrush. 
American  Robin. 
Western  Robin. 
Mountain  Bluebird. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

BIRDS   ON   HATS,   BOYS,    COLLECTORS,    SO-CALLED    BIRD 
STUDENTS,   BIRD   HUNTERS,   UBIQUITOUS   GUNNERS 

IT  is  a  pleasure  to  state  that  the  fashion  of  wearing 
birds  on  hats  is  certainly  waning.  Let  every  girl  and 
every  lady  interested  in  song  birds  refrain  from  wear- 
ing any  feathers  except  those  of  game  birds,  domestic 
birds,  and  ostriches,  and  the  plume  hunters'  business 
will  cease  to  pay  and  die  a  natural  death.  Intelli- 
gent women,  prominent  in  society,  can  easily  place  hats 
with  song-bird  corpses  under  the  ban.  With  the  school- 
girls, the  teachers  can  accomplish  the  desired  result. 
Still  more  good  would  result,  if  some  inventive  genius 
could  discover  a  process  by  which  artificial  feathers  could 
be  succesfully  manufactured  from  rubber,  celluloid,  or 
some  other  substance.  Perhaps  the  feathers  of  the 
numerous  varieties  of  domestic  fowls  could  be  so  pre- 
pared that  they  would  satisfy  the  most  divergent  tastes. 
Any  one  who  would  invent  or  perfect  a  process  by 
which  the  manufacture  of  artificial  feathers  would  be- 
come a  commercial  success,  would  be  one  of  the  great- 
est benefactors  of  the  birds.  I  am  convinced  that  the 
majority  of  women  wearing  feathers  of  song  birds  or 
other  wild  birds  do  so  from  ignorance.  Schools, 
G  81  /- 


82  OUR   NATIVE  BIRDS 

societies,  and  the  press  must  do  their  duty  to  dispel 
the  darkness.  The  business  of  the  plume  hunter  is  a 
particularly  disgusting  one,  because  his  favorite  hunt- 
ing time  is  the  breeding  and  nesting  season  of  birds, 
when  their  plumage  is  at  its  best.  A  Florida  plume 
hunter  once  told  Mr.  Frank  M.  Chapman  that  he  had 
killed  three  hundred  egrets  in  one  afternoon.  This 
meant  that  he  had  caused  the  death  of  about  one 
thousand  helpless  nestlings  by  starvation.  The  only 
wrong  these  innocent  creatures  had  ever  committed 
was  that  their  parents  bore  a  beautiful,  delicate  plum- 
age which  ignorant  or  vain  women  will  buy  regardless 
of  the  brutal  slaughter  by  which  it  was  obtained.1  Does 
the  word  of  the  prophet  "  Have  we  not  all  one  father, 
hath  not  one  God  created  us  ?  "  only  apply  to  human 
kind  with  all  its  sinfulness,  corruption,  and  depravity? 
Should  it  not  apply  to  the  birds  and  the  beasts  of  the 
woods,  many  of  which  are  far  more  faithful  and  useful 
workers  in  the  vineyard  of  nature  than  some  people 
who  live  in  first-class  hotels? 

Among  the  members  of  the  Audubon  society  we 
notice  a  few  divines  and  clergymen,  but  their  number 
should  be  much  larger.  Is  it  not  about  time  that  our 
churches,  too,  preach  and  practice  humaneness  in  its 

1  Send  for  a  leaflet  entitled  :  "  The  Wearing  of  Herons'  Plumes  or 
Aigrettes,"  by  Frank  M.  Chapman.  Address  Miss  Emma  H.  Lock- 
wood,  243  West  Seventy-fifth  St.,  New  York  City,  or  Miss  Mary  A. 
Mellick,  Plainfield,  N.  J.  The  pamphlet  is  sent  free  to  applicants. 

All  ladies  and  girls  interested  in  birds  and  in  humane  work  should 
read  :  "  The  Audubon  Societies  and  their  Work,"  by  Frank  M.  Chap- 
man, the  Delineator,  March,  1898. 


BIRDS   ON  HATS,   ETC.  83 

widest  sense?  Are  there  not  many  preachers  of  the 
Gospel  who  are  ignorant  of  nature,  from  which  their 
Master  could  draw  so  many  great  and  beautiful  lessons  ? 
Ministers  and  churches  have,  indeed,  taken  up  the 
battle  for  the  dumb  creatures  that  man  has  forced  into 
servitude  so  that  he  himself  might  reach  higher  and 
nobler  aims,  but  of  our  dumb  kin  of  woods  and  fields  it 
is  still  true  that  "  the  whole  creation  groaneth  and  tra- 
vaileth  in  pain  together  until  now."  If  our  science  is 
of  the  right  kind  and  if  our  Christianity  is  more  than  a 
custom,  then  let  our  sympathy  and  mercy  come  forth 
and  speak  for  all  of  our  Father's  children  that  cannot 
speak  for  themselves. 

Nor  need  we  go  back  to  the  prophets  and  apostles  of 
Israel ;  the  seers  have  lived  and  many  are  still  living 
in  our  midst.  Have  we  heeded  them  ?  Read  the  fol- 
lowing lines  from  Longfellow,  who  never  believed  that 
the  higher  and  stronger  being  should  merely  act  the 
part  of  the  brutal  conqueror. 

"  Then  the  little  Hiawatha 
Learned  of  every  bird  its  language, 
Learned  their  names  and  all  their  secrets, 
How  they  built  their  nests  in  summer, 
Where  they  hid  themselves  in  winter, 
Talked  with  them  whene'er  he  met  them, 
Called  them  <  Hiawatha's  Chickens.' 

"  Of  all  beasts  he  learned  the  language, 
Learned  their  names  and  all  their  secrets, 
How  the  beavers  built  their  lodges, 
Where  the  squirrels  hid  their  acorns, 


84  OUR   NATIVE   BIRDS 

How  the  reindeer  ran  so  swiftly, 

Why  the  rabbit  was  so  timid, 

Talked  with  them  whene'er  he  met  them, 

Called  them  '  Hiawatha's  Brothers.' " l 

The  boy  collector  must  be  taken  in  hand  by  the 
teacher,  as  will  be  shown  in  the  next  section. 

The  professional  and  the  amateur  collectors  must  be 
handled  by  the  public  press  and  by  the  courts.  Let 
the  Audubon  Society,  the  humane  societies,  the  League 
of  American  Sportsmen,  and  the  state  game  wardens 
work  hand  in  hand  on  these  nuisances  without  any 
jealousy.  Where  a  warning  might  be  sufficient  no 
prosecution  should  take  place.  The  state  game  war- 
dens and  the  L.  A.  S.  will  gladly  look  after  the  law- 
breakers that  are  made  known  to  them.  It  is,  of  course, 
not  advisable  to  make  complaints  of  this  kind  in  court 
against  one's  neighbors,  but  where  societies  are  in  ear- 
nest they  can  easily  find  means  to  make  unlicensed  col- 
lectors very  uncomfortable.  When  collections  are  to 
be  made  for  •  really  worthy  purposes,  the  state  game 
warden  should  issue  a  license. 

The  trade  in  mounted  song  birds  and  in  bird  eggs 
must  be  suppressed.  Let  every  lover  of  nature  show 
what  he  thinks  of  the  persons  in  this  trade,  and  of  the 
papers  and  magazines  facilitating  it.  You  participate 
in  the  wrong,  if  you  give  any  moral  or  business  support 
to  any  of  them.  In  a  paper  which  pretends  to  work 
in  the  interest  of  game  protection  I  find  the  following 
advertisement :  —  "  Learn  to  Stuff  Birds,"  etc.  Then 
1  See  also  Longfellow's  "  The  Birds  of  Killingworth. " 


BIRDS   ON   HATS,   ETC.  85 

a  certain  preparation  is  recommended  and  a  correspond- 
ent writes  that  he  has  a  class  of  seven  boys  learning  the 
art  of  stuffing  birds,  an  art  which  the  average  boy  should 
not  learn. 

Withdraw  your  support  from  all  persons  that  work 
for  bird  destruction.  Let  individuals  and  societies 
notify  the  publishers  of  papers  and  magazines,  when 
such  advertisements  appear.  The  next  step  would  be 
to  enact  laws  forbidding  the  trade  in  mounted  song 
birds  and  in  bird  eggs.  The  advertising  of  such  ma- 
terial would  be  or  could  be  made  prima  facie  evidence 
of  a  violation  of  the  law. 

I  think  it  will  also  be  found  necessary  to  prohibit  or 
regulate  by  law  the  caging  and  keeping  of  native  live 
song  birds.  If  a  prohibition  is  not  considered  wise, 
then  a  license  should  be  imposed,  but  such  a  license 
would  be  difficult  to  collect.  In  Europe  a  regular  bird- 
catching  industry  sprang  up  and  had  to  be  ostracized 
by  law.  One  can  find  now  in  almost  any  bird  store 
mocking  birds  and  Kentucky  cardinals.  To  what  ex- 
tent this  trade  has  affected  the  number  of  these  birds 
in  their  native  haunts  farther  south  I  do  not  know.  I 
surmise,  however,  that  it  must  reduce  them  consider- 
ably, because  for  every  bird  that  is  successfully  raised 
or  tamed,  two  or  three  will  perish.  Let  us  go  where 
wild  birds  are  not  forced  to  sing  behind  iron  bars. 

The  actual  song-bird  hunters,  those  fellows  that 
shoot  song  birds  in  order  to  devour  the  tiny  morsels, 
deserve  no  mercy  whatever.  They  are  mostly  people 
who  come  from  European  countries  where  all  mamma- 


86  OUR   NATIVE   BIRDS 

lian  game  and  all  game  birds  have  been  exterminated. 
The  only  hunting  sport  these  people  know  is  the  catch- 
ing and  shooting  of  song  birds  during  the  spring  and 
fall  migration.  If  the  Italian  peasantry  catch  and  eat 
nightingales  and  skylarks  by  the  thousand,  they  may 
at  least  claim  as  a  mitigating  circumstance  that  there 
are  no  other  creatures  on  which  they  can  indulge  their 
taste  for  out-door  sport.  Any  one  who  has  ever  felt 
the  exhilaration  of  a  day's  shooting  on  a  North  Ameri- 
can rush-fringed  lake,  can  sympathize  with  them,  but 
in  this  country  we  cannot  tolerate  song-bird  hunting 
as  long  as  we  have  still  millions  of  ducks  and  grouse. 
If  a  person  will  not  go  to  the  expense  of  reaching  duck 
and  grouse  grounds,  let  him  hunt  song  birds  with  ko- 
dak and  camera  —  or  track  mice  and  rats.  Fortunately 
only  a  few  large  cities  have  a  bird-hunting  population. 
A  heavy  penalty  should  be  placed  on  the  shooting  of 
small  birds  that  are  not  game  birds.  Park  superin- 
tendents, landowners,  and  societies  should  put  up  signs 
calling  attention  to  the  law  and  the  penalties.  Such 
signs  will  not  keep  off  all  offenders,  but  they  do  keep 
away  a  great  many  and  make  all  very  cautious.  Every 
offender  caught  should  be  handed  over  to  the  full 
severity  of  the  law.  Oa  the  military  reservation  of  Ft. 
Snelling,  Minn.,  such  signs  have  proved  very  useful,  so 
that  its  groves  and  river  bottoms  have  become  a  para- 
dise for  birds,  although  the  reservation  is  easily  acces- 
sible to  residents  of  both  St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis. 

The  points  just  discussed  must  make  it  evident  to 
all  bird  lovers  that  it  is  to  the  interest  of  song  birds  to 


BIRDS   ON   HATS,   ETC.  87 

have  our  game  mammals,  our  game  birds,  and  our  fish 
protected  and  preserved.  Where  deer  have  disap- 
peared, coons,  hares,  and  rabbits  have  become  big 
game,  and  where  geese,  ducks,  grouse,  and  quail  are 
exterminated,  robins,  orioles,  and  bluebirds  will  become 
fowls,  as  is  proved  in  several  South  European  countries. 
Men  and  boys  will  continue  to  love  the  gun  and  the 
rod,  and  however  much  we  may  desire  to  make  our  boys 
become  true  lovers  of  nature,  we  certainly  do  not  want 
to  educate  their  aggressive  virility  and  their  love  for 
-sport  and  adventure  out  of  them.  A  nation  needs 
philosophers,  poets,  artists,  and  perhaps  even  some 
dreamers,  but  she  also  needs  just  that  bubbling  vitality 
which  in  every  healthy  boy  is  the  delight  of  parents 
and  teachers  who  take  the  trouble  to  understand  boys. 
Give  your  restless,  mischievous,  mean  boy  a  good  book 
on  outdoor  sport,  and  he  will  at  once  drop  mischief 
and  meanness,  forget  even  about  eating,  and  will  quickly 
become  your  staunch  friend. 

I  cannot  close  this  chapter  without  calling  attention 
to  the  nuisance  of  ubiquitous,  irresponsible  gunners  of 
all  classes,  men,  women,  and  boys.  If  you  have  not 
enough  moral  backbone  to  let  song  birds,  ducks,  loons, 
terns,  and  other  lake  and  shore  birds  alone,  when  you 
go  on  a  summer  outing  or  for  a  few  days'  fishing, 
then  in  the  name  of  human  kindness  and  for  the  sake 
of  the  birds,  leave  your  guns  and  little  rifles  at  home ! 
The  birds  were  not  intended  for  your  targets.  Have 
another  gun  slave  throw  up  potatoes  for  you  and 
remember  that  the  ball  will  penetrate  or  possibly  pass 


88  OUR   NATIVE   BIKDS 

the  potato.  What  does  a  man  want  with  a  gun,  any- 
how, during  the  close  season?  It  is  all  right  to  buy 
your  twelve-year-old  boy  a  gun  or  a  .22  rifle,  but  see  to 
it  that  he  does  not  shoot  at  everything  that  creeps, 
runs,  or  flies  !  Boys  going  about  with  firearms  in  towns 
or  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  towns  are  an  unmiti- 
gated nuisance.  They  do  not  know  any  better,  but 
their  elders  do  know  better,  or  they  should  be  taught 
by  the  courts. 

A  communication  which  I  find  in  the  March  number 
of  Recreation  of  1899  contains  such  a  sad  comment 
upon  the  common  sense  and  self  control  of  so  many 
city  outing  parties  that  I  reproduce  it  here :  — 

"Many  people  visit  our  trout  streams  during  the 
summer.  All — men,  boys,  and,  I  am  sorry  to  say, 
ladies  —  carry  .22  rifles.  Our  visitors  are  in  the  coun- 
try for  fun,  and  when  they  are  not  fishing,  they  must 
shoot.  So  our  robins,  larks,  arid  bluebirds  yield  their 
lives  to  afford  a  moment's  amusement  to  creatures  of  a 
presumedly  higher  scale.  One  incident  I  noticed  par- 
ticularly. I  saw  a  pair  of  bluebirds  building  in  a  hol- 
low stump,  and  as  often  as  I  passed  I  looked  at  them. 
After  a  while,  five  beautiful  eggs  lay  in  the  nest.  At 
my  next  visit,  I  was  greeted  by  the  gaping  mouths  of 
four  baby  birds.  A  short  time  after,  I  saw  two  ladies 
—  save  the  mark  —  shooting  ,22's  near  this  nest.  The 
next  evening  I  passed,  and  there  beside  the  stump  lay 
the  mother  bird  with  a  bullet  hole  through  her  body, 
and  in  the  nest  were  her  four  babies,  dead  of  cold  and 


BIRDS   ON  HATS,   ETC.  89 

starvation.  This  is  but  one  incident  of  many  that  oc- 
curred on  the  Rattlesnake,  and  no  doubt  on  all  streams 
where  parties  go  for  a  few  days'  outing. 

"G.   E.  VANBUREN, 

"Missoula,  Mont." 

Is  it  a  wonder  that  our  birds  decrease  ?  Cats  hunt 
them  in  the  city ;  ignorant  schoolboys  molest  them  in 
the  country ;  men,  boys,  and  females,  whom  Mr.  Van 
Buren  very  charitably,  but  just  as  inappropriately  calls 
"ladies,"  murder  them  at  summer  resorts  and  in  the 
"trout-stream  woods.  If  you  are  a  good  marksman,  you 
need  not  demonstrate  it  on  song  birds  and  on  innocent 
shore  birds  in  the  summer  time.  If  you  cannot  be  happy 
without  shooting,  take  an  old  barn-door  with  you  and 
place  it  against  a  sand  hill.  We  are  in  great  need  of  a 
gun  license  to  keep  track  of  the  fools,  old  and  young, 
male  and  female.  The  wonder  is  that  we  have  any 
birds  left  at  all. 

The  only  legal  remedy  to  abate  this  nuisance  would 
be  a  gun  license  in  every  settled  district.1 

1  See  "Principles  of  The  League  of  American  Sportsmen,"  page 
132. 


CHAPTER  IX 

SONG    BIRDS  AS  FOOD 

THE  disgraceful  killing  of  song  birds  for  food  has 
already  caused  fearful  destruction  among  the  birds  in 
some  sections  of  our  country.  From  Pennsylvania, 
Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  Tennessee,  Michigan, 
North  Carolina,  and  New  Orleans  come  reports  saying 
that  song  birds,  and,  in  fact,  practically  every  kind  of 
bird  is  shot,  sold,  and  devoured  as  game.  The  crim- 
inals are  mostly  French,  Italian,  and  Hungarian  labor- 
ers in  the  northern  states,  and  negroes,  Italians,  and 
French  Creoles  in  the  southern  states.  Robins,  thrushes, 
flickers,  native  sparrows,  and  even  swallows  are  sold  in 
the  markets  of  New  Orleans,  In  1897,  two  thousand 
six  hundred  robins  were  received  by  one  dealer  in 
Washington,  D.C.,  in  a  single  month.  The  birds  were 
shipped  from  North  Carolina  and  had  been  killed  while 
roosting. 

The  only  kind  of  teaching  this  class  of  criminals  is 
capable  of  appreciating  are  the  programmes  dictated  by 
the  judges  and  carried  out  by  state  prison  wardens  and 
county  sheriffs.  The  League  of  American  Sportsmen 
and  the  Audubon  Societies  are  now  extending  their 
work  into  the  southern  states,  and  they  will  not  hesitate 
to  have  the  laws  applied  ;  and  every  good  citizen  should 
help  them  in  this  duty. 

90 


SONG   BIRDS   AS   FOOD  91 

To  all  lovers  of  nature,  however,  these  reports  show 
the  great  importance  of  protecting  our  real  game  birds, 
mammals,  and  fish.  Private  citizens  and  societies  must 
do  all  in  their  power  to  have  game,  bird,  fish,  and  forest 
protection  taught  in  every  kind  of  school  in  the  land. 
Ten,  fifteen  years  from  now,  the  boys  and  young  men 
now  in  the  schools  will  take  part  in  expressing  and 
forming  public  opinion,  and  many  of  them  will  be  mem- 
bers of  state  legislatures  and  some  will  be  in  congress. 
If  we  win  them  now,  and  we  can  win  them,  the  days  of 
disgraceful,  barbarous  destruction  will  have  come  to  an 
end.  Creating  a  general  public  sentiment  on  this  sub- 
ject is  the  only  way  of  settling  this  question  right. 

In  the  common  schools  the  subject  must  receive  due 
attention  in  connection  with  nature  study,  which  we 
must  teach  in  real  earnest  in  every  school.  In  second- 
ary schools  and  colleges  the  professors  of  botany  and 
zoology  must  at  times  wrest  themselves  away  from  mi- 
croscopical cells  and  abstruse  biological  problems  and 
not  forget  entirely  the  flowers,  the  trees,  the  birds  and 
beasts  which  made  this  earth  interesting  and  beautiful 
long  before  microscope  and  microtome  revealed  their 
minute  anatomy. 


SECTION  V 

EDUCATION  AND  THE  BIRDS 
CHAPTER  X 

Educating  Adults. — Those  grown  people  that  are 
willing  to  be  educated  can  be  reached  by  the  public 
press,  and  by  such  magazines  as  Bird  Lore,  Recreation, 
Forest  and  Stream,  and  others ;  by  the  publications  of 
the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture,  and  by 
the  abundant  and  constantly  increasing  bird  literature. 

The  Audubon  Societies,  the  League  of  American 
Sportsmen,  and  other  societies  that  work  for  the 
preservation  and  appreciation  of  the  interesting  and 
the  beautiful  in  nature,  have  already  done  much  good 
work,  but  their  membership  must  be  very  much  in- 
creased. To  compel  people  desirous  of  joining  one  of 
these  societies  to  write  a  letter  and  expend  from  five 
to  ten  cents  in  order  to  have  his  membership  fee  of 
twenty-five  cents  or  one  dollar  reach  the  proper  parties, 
is  very  poor  business  policy.  In  every  town  one  or  more 
book-stores  and  other  business  houses  will  be  found 
willing  to  receive  dues  and  issue  membership  cards. 
Display  in  these  places  the  beautiful  colored  chart  of 
twenty-six  common  birds,  published  by  the  Massachu- 
setts Audubon  Society,  and  on  a  placard  attached  to  the 
chart  invite  people  to  join.  On  a  table  near  the  chart 

92 


EDUCATION   AND  THE  BIRDS  93 

place  some  circulars  explaining  the  purpose  of  the 
society.  Public  libraries  would  also  be  good  places 
for  this  missionary  work.  There  can  be  no  possible 
objection  to  this  method,  which  is  employed  by  all 
kinds  of  respectable  business  concerns.  The  time  of 
people  who  are  interested  in  such  work  is  generally  of 
some  value,  and  they  cannot  afford  to  spend  two  hours 
in  carrying  fifty  cents  to  an  out-of-the-way  private 
residence.  I  know  of  a  man  in  a  large  western  city 
who  had  to  write  to  New  York  for  the  address  of  his 
local  Audubon  Society.  Leagues  and  associations  for 
game,  fish,  and  forest  protection  might  employ  similar 
methods.  Gun  stores  and  dealers  in  sportsmen's  goods 
will  generally  be  found  willing  to  receive  dues  and 
issue  membership  cards. 

DIRECTORY  OF  STATE  AUDUBON  SOCIETIES 

WITH    NAMES    AND    ADDRESSES    OF    THEIR    SECRETARIES 

1.  Connecticut.     Mrs.  William  Brown  Glover,  Fairneld. 

2.  District  of  Columbia.     Mrs.  John   Dewhurst  Patten,  3033  P 

street,  Washington. 

3.  Illinois.     Miss  Mary  Drummond,  Wheaton. 

4.  Indiana.     Amos  W.  Butler,  State  House,  Indianapolis. 

5.  Iowa.     Miss  Nellie  S.  Board,  Keokuk. 

6.  Massachusetts.     Miss  Harriet  E.  Richards,  care  Boston  Society 

of  Natural  History,  Boston. 

7.  Minnesota.     Mrs.  J.  P.  Elmer,  314  West  Third  street,  St.  Paul. 

8.  New  Hampshire.    Mrs.  F.  W.  Batchelder,  Manchester. 

9.  New    Jersey.      Miss    Anna    Haviland,    53    Sanford    avenue, 

Plainfield. 

10.   New   York.    Miss  Emma  H.  Lockwood,  243  West  Seventy- 
fifth  street,  New  York  City. 


94  OUR   NATIVE   BIRDS 

11.  Ohio.     Miss  Clara  Russell,  903  Paradrorae  street,  Cincinnati. 

12.  Pennsylvania.     Mrs.  Edward  Robins,  114  South   Twenty-first 

street,  Philadelphia. 

13.  Rhode  Island.     Mrs.  H.  P.  Grant,  Jr.,  187  Bowen  street,  Prov- 

idence. 

14.  West  Virginia.     Elizabeth  I.  Cummins,  1314  Chapline  street, 

Wheeling. 

15.  Wisconsin.    Mrs.   Geo.   W.   Peckham,    646    Marshall    street, 

Milwaukee. 

16.  California.     Mrs.  George  S.  Gay,  Redlands. 

17.  Tennessee.     Mrs.  C.  C.  Conner,  Ripley. 

18.  Texas.    Miss  Cecile  Seixas,  2008  Thirty-ninth  street,  Galveston.1 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  in  the  near  future  this  society 
will  be  able  to  extend  its  work  to  every  state  and  terri- 
tory. Every  large  city  should  also  have  a  society. 
Officers  of  the  societies  will  do  well  to  correspond  with 
the  teachers  who  have  charge  of  the  nature  study  work 
in  the  schools. 

All  adults  who  continue  to  break  the  laws  enacted 
for  the  protection  of  song  birds  should  be  warned,  and 
prosecuted,  if  necessary.  In  states  where  no  such  laws 
exist,  the  society  should  see  that  they  are  enacted.  It 
will  also  prove  desirable  to  pass  a  law  combining  a  Bird 
Day  with  the  Arbor  Day  now  observed  in  many  states. 

TEXT  OF  THE  MINNESOTA  BIRD  AND  ARBOR  DAY 
LAW,  PASSED  1899 

"  The  governor  is  hereby  authorized  to  set  apart  each 
year,  by  proclamation,  one  day  to  be  designated  as 
Arbor  and  Bird  Day,  and  to  request  its  observance  by 

1  This  list  is  taken  from  the  October  number  of  Bird  Lore. 


' 
EDUCATION  AND  THE   BIRDS  95 

all  public  schools,  private  schools,  colleges,  and  other 
institutions  by  the  planting  of  trees,  the  adornment  of 
school  and  public  grounds,  and  by  suitable  exercises, 
having  for  their  object  the  advancement  of  arboricul- 
ture, the  promotion  of  a  spirit  of  protection  to  Birds 
and  Trees,  and  the  cultivation  of  an  appreciative  senti- 
ment concerning  them." 

The  following  states  have  passed  a  Bird  and  Arbor 
Day  law  :  — 

Massachusetts,  Minnesota,  Wisconsin,  Indiana. 

Islands,  Groves,  Parks,  and  Woods  Commemorative 
of  Noted  Ornithologists.  —  If  the  spirit  of  Audubon 
could  come  back  to  earth,  he  would  be  but  little 
pleased  with  bronze  or  marble  statues  erected  to  his 
memory  in  a  country  where  men  and  boys  slaughter 
birds  and  where  women  wear  the  corpses  on  hats.  An 
island,  a  grove,  or  any  other  convenient  place  made 
especially  attractive  to  birds,  and  named  Audubon 
Island,  Nuttall  Grove,  or  Wilson  Park  would  be  the 
best  tribute  to  these  bird-lore  pioneers.  In  a  similar 
way  we  could  truly  and  fittingly  honor  many  of  our 
nature  poets,  writers,  and  scientists.  It  is  very  desir- 
able to  attract  coots,  blackbirds,  snipes,  swamp  wrens, 
and  other  birds  to  our  park  lakes.  In  order  to  do  that, 
we  must  allow  rushes,  weeds,  and  sedges  to  grow  in 
corners  and  bays,  which  would  also  make  good  spawn- 
ing places  for  some  kinds  of  fish.  These  rushes,  cat- 
tails, and  floating  plants  have  also  an  aesthetic  value, 
and  a  lake  or  pond  without  them  is  about  as  interest- 
ing as  a  piece  of  window  glass. 


.    CHAPTER  XI 

EDUCATING   THE   GROWING   GENERATION 

THIS  education  must  begin  in  our  public  schools. 
Every  boy  is  a  born  bird  student,  but  his  natural 
methods  are  too  destructive  for  the  birds.  In  the  nat- 
ure study  work  children  must  learn  the  habits  of  our 
common  birds  and  must  learn  of  the  benefits  the  birds 
render  us.  Give  them  glimpses  of  the  work  of  birds, 
how  they  build  their  little  homes,  care  for  their  young 
and  defend  them  at  the  risk  of  their  own  lives.  Show 
them  to  what  dangers  birds  are  constantly  exposed  and 
how  the  fall  and  spring  migrations  always  are  long, 
dangerous  journeys.  Too  much  direct  forbidding  and 
preaching  is  harmful,  for  in  the  heart  of  every  boy 
sleeps  the  spirit  of  opposition.  Soft  sentiment  or  gush- 
ing talk  is  also  harmful.  In  connection  with  the  study 
read  such  articles  as  u  Silverspot,  the  Crow,"  and  "  Red- 
ruff,  the  Don  Valley  Partridge  "  in  Thompson's  "  Wild 
Animals  I  Have  Known."  Literature  of  that  kind 
creates  true  sympathy  with  nature  and  after  that  is 
awakened,  the  boy  is  converted. 

Tell  the  children  about  the  hardships  that  winter 
birds  are  exposed  to,  and  teach  them  how  to  feed  birds 
in  winter  and  in  unfavorable  weather  at  other  seasons. 
Let  the  boys  make  nesting  boxes  and  study  the  tenants 
of  the  boxes.  This  bird  study  should  not  be  mere 
play,  but  should  be  made  profitable  although  pleasant 


EDUCATING  THE   GROWING   GENERATION  97 

work.  Let  teachers  and  schools  do  all  they  can  to 
spread  good  bird  literature  and  to  fight  such  tradi- 
tional ignorance  that  does,  for  instance,  still  prevail 
against  hawks  and  owls.  This  work  must,  however, 
also  receive  due  attention  in  high  schools  and  in 
normal  schools  from  which  our  teachers  go  out.  In 
these  schools,  as  well  as  in  common  schools,  bird  study 
clubs  can  do  much  good,  if  they  strictly  refrain  from 
collecting  birds  and  eggs  and  if  the  teachers  see  to  it 
that  nests  are  not  too  frequently  visited.  Every  bird 
actually  placed  in  a  collection  by  schoolboys  probably 
means  the  wounding  or  killing  of  half  a  dozen.  You 
may  be  sure  that,  if  you  start  schoolboys  collecting 
eggs  and  birds,  you  will  soon  have  studied  the  birds 
out  of  the  country.  Every  teacher  that  augments 
the  egg  and  bird  collecting  mania  helps  to  decrease  our 
birds.  *  Use  good  charts  and  colored  pictures,  observe 
the  birds  outdoors,  and  let  alone  those  that  you  can- 
not reach  by  these  means.  Moreover,  in  many  states, 
schoolboy  collectors  would  violate  the  law.  This 
collecting  must  be  done  only  by  competent  licensed 
collectors.  Most  private  collections  serve  only  the 
whim  of  the  collector.  With  proper  directions  chil- 
dren may  profitably  collect  insects,  plants,  and  minerals, 
but  they  may  learn  much  and  not  make  any  collections. 
There  is  certainly  knowledge  that  would  be  too  dearly 

1  Teachers  and  others  who  are  interested  in  natural  sciences  but 
do  not  have  access  to  many  books,  to  libraries,  and  museums,  can  get 
much  help  and  inspiration  from  the  Agassiz  Association.  For  detailed 
information,  write  to  Mr.  H.  H.  Ballard,  Pittsfield,  Mass. 


98  OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS 

bought  for  the  child.  The  flowers  bloom  most  beau- 
tifully where  they  grow,  and  birds  are  most  beautiful 
and  sing  most  sweetly  when  they  perch  on  the  free 
swaying  branches.  I  know  of  more  than  one  bird  and 
egg  collection  that  serve  no  other  purposes  except  to 
be  in  safe  cases  and  accumulate  the  dust  of  ages. 

Bird  Day  in  the  Schools.  —  Our  teachers  have  so 
much  experience  in  arranging  all  kinds  of  exercises 
that  special  directions  for  the  observance  of  Bird  Day 
seem  not  necessary.  Songs,  declamations,  reports  of 
observations,  illustrated  talks,  and  easy  dramatic  repre- 
sentations are  in  order.  Reports  about  individual 
birds  will  always  be  much  appreciated,  and  the  younger 
the  pupils  are,  the  more  anything  with  action  in  it  will 
appeal  to  them.  Bird  magazines  and  educational 
papers  furnish  an  abundance  of  material,  and  much 
excellent  matter  can  be  found  in  the  works  of  our  clas- 
sical poets  and  writers.  Nor  is  it  necessary  that  all  the 
exercises  be  about  birds.  From  a  pedagogical  point  of 
view,  it  would  be  better  to  observe  a  Nature  Day  than  to 
limit  ourselves  strictly  to  trees  and  birds.  Bird  study, 
like  every  other  good  thing,  can  be  overdone,  so  that 
the  public  and  the  children  will  become  surfeited. 

A  little  Bird  Day  material  is  here  offered,  with  the 
hope  that  it  may  prove  useful  in  some  schools  and 
homes.  It  will  probably  be  best  to  select  from  it,  as 
to  give  all  of  it  might  unduly  lengthen  the  programme. 
It  is  much  better  that  the  children  should  wish  they 
could  have  had  a  little  more  than  that  they  should  be 
wearied  by  exercises  that  are  too  long. 


SECTION  VI 

THE  BIRDS  BEFORE  UNCLE  SAM 

General  Directions.  —  A  person  who  has  the  time 
and  is  willing  to  take  the  trouble,  can  interest  the 
children  much  in  exercises  in  which  a  number  of 
children  act  the  parts  of  different  birds.  The  exer- 
cises may,  of  course,  be  arranged  without  any  special 
costumes  for  the  participants ;  a  few  suggestions, 
however,  are  here  offered  for  such  costumes.  The 
dresses  or  costumes  of  the  children  need  not  copy  the 
coloration  of  the  birds,  but  it  is  desirable  that  they  be 
at  least  suggestive. 

Where  special  suits  are  made,  dress  the  boys  in 
tight-fitting  brownie  suits.  Cut  out  large  wing- 
shaped  pieces  of  cloth,  gather  and  fasten  these  on  the 
shoulder  and  down  the  back,  and  let  them  fall  in 
points  over  the  hands.  Colored  tissue  paper  and  any 
colored  paper  is  good  material  to  bring  out  the  color 
effects. 

For  girls,  use  tight-fitting  waists,  with  wings  made 
as  for  boys.  Use  paper,  cambric,  or  any  other  inex- 
pensive material. 

Where  no  suits  are  to  be  made,  any  dress  or  clothing 
on  which  the  desired  color  predominates  may  be  used. 
Touches  of  other  colors  can  be  added  in  various  ways, 

99 


100  OtTB   NATIVE   BIRDS 

as  by  caps,  hoods,  strips,  and  pieces  of  paper;  but  the 
effect  should  be  pleasing  and  not  ridiculous.  The  size, 
complexion,  color  of  the  hair,  and  temperament  of  the 
children  must  also  be  considered.  If  handled  in  the 
right  way,  it  may  be  possible  to  make  such  exercises  a 
success  in  high  schools  and  normal  schools.  Care 
should  be  taken  not  to  make  the  exercise  too  long. 
The  amount  of  matter  to  be  used  and  its  arrangement 
must  be  decided  by  the  person  in  charge.  The  wings 
should  be  omitted  from  the  costume,  unless  a  pleasing 
effect  can  be  attained. 

1.  The  Mockingbird. — Boy  ten  to  fourteen  years  old.     Front  light 

gray,  back  gray,  wings  brown-gray. 

2.  The  Snowy  Heron.  —  Girl  twelve  to  sixteen  years  old,  plain 

white. 

3.  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak.  —  Girl,  rose   carmine  vest,  skirt  gray, 

back  black,  wings  black  with  one  large  white  spot. 

4.  Green-winged  Teal.  —  Girl  of  eight  to  fourteen,  chestnut-brown 

gimp  with  high  neck  collar,  wings  dull  gray,  with  a  broad 
green  stripe,  skirt  light  gray. 

5.  Blue-winged  Teal.  —  Girl  of  eight  to  twelve,  small  lead-purple 

gimp,  waist  brown,  skirt  gray,  wings  dull  sky-blue. 

6.  Orchard  Oriole.  —  Girl  of  eight  to  twelve,  black  gimp,  extend- 

ing down  to  the  breast,  waist  and  skirt  reddish  brown,  wings 
black,  with  large  brown  spot  touching  the  gimp  toward  the 
front. 

7.  Brown  Thrush.  —  Girl  of  ten  to  twelve,  waist  light  gray,  speckled 

with  brown,  wings  and  skirt  brown. 

[These  birds  occupy  seats  near  Uncle  Sam's  desk  and  act  as 
attorneys  or  speakers  for  the  birds.  Other  birds  may  be 
selected  for  this  part  in  some  cases.] 


THE  BIKDS   BEFORE  UNCLE  SAM  J    U"J.O]L  ', 

PART    FIRST? 


INTRODUCTION 
By  the  Mockingbird 

We  birds  have  written  to  Washington, 

We  have  written  to  Uncle  Sam  ; 

And  he  will  be  present 

To  hear  our  complaint 

And  will  see  that  justice  is  done. 

In  open  court  we  complain  to-day 
Against  old  and  young  evil-doers. 
The  thoughtless  boy,  the  gray-headed  fool ; 
The  farmer,  the  gardener,  the  gunner, 
The  lady  who  cruelly  pins  us  to  hats,  — 
They  must  all  go  where  birds  never  sing. 

[Uncle  Sarn  enters  represented  by  a  large  boy,  dressed  in  the  usual 
Uncle  Sam  costume,  bows  to  the  audience  in  two  or  three 
directions  and  takes  his  seat  behind  a  table  or  large  desk.  A 
boy  dressed  as  a  soldier  carries  in  Uncle  Sam's  valise,  places  it 
on  the  floor,  and  takes  a  lower  chair  in  some  convenient  place 
near  Uncle  Sam.  On  the  table  are  a  number  of  real  or  sup- 
posed large  law  books.  Uncle  Sam  carries  a  big  gun  and  a 
sword.] 

Uncle  Sam 

I  have  a  letter  from  the  birds, 
Now  let  them  come  and  speak. 

The  Mockingbird 
Most  honorable  Uncle  Sam, 
As  birddom's  attorneys  we  come. 


102,  OTJR  NATIVE  BIRDS 


Please;  graciously  hear  our  pleadings, 
This  is  what  the  birds  have  to  say:  — 

In  your  blessed  land  of  freedom 
We  have  lived  for  years  and  years, 
Long  before  the  white  man  came  here, 
We  have  played  in  wood  and  glen,  — 
Since  the  days  of  Pilgrim  Fathers 
We  have  been  the  farmer's  friends ; 
But  we  have  most  grievous  charges 
'Gainst  him  who  ought  to  protect  us. 
For  five  hundred  thousand  beetles 
He  will  not  ten  berries  pay; 
We  should  catch  all  caterpillars, 
But  should  not  touch  grain  or  corn. 
Please  make  him  to  plant  some  bushes, 
Tell  him  not  to  cut  old  trees. 
Willingly  he  pays  your  taxes, 
Please  tell  him  to  pay  us  ours, 
Ask  him  not  to  house  the  sparrows ; 
And  to  kill  bird-eating  cats, 
All  cats,  roaming  in  the  woodland, 
All  cats  that  do  climb  our  trees. 

Uncle  Sam 

[To  a  boy  dressed  as  farmer  or  gardener.     Uncle  Sam  speaks 
harshly,  his  right  hand  on  a  gun,  musket,  or  sword.] 

Now,  old  fellow,  you  pay  your  taxes ; 

Go  home,  don't  growl  at  the  birds,  send  me  your  bad 

cats! 
[The  farmer  leaves.] 


THE  BIRDS  BEFORE  UNCLE  SAM  103 

The  Snowy  Heron 

Very  much  it  truly  grieves  us 

That  complaint  we  have  to  make 

Against  many  lovely  ladies 

Who  do  wear  our  wings  on  hats. 

They  would  never  kill  a  fine  bird, 

But  they  send  a  cruel  man, 

Send  the  heartless  plume  collector.  — 

He  knows  no  mercy, 

No  beauty  respects, 

He  heeds  not  our  piercing  cry. 

The  father  he  kills, 

The  mother  he  snares, 

And  the  helpless  fledglings 

He  starves  in  the  nest. 

He  slays  us  for  our  beauty 
In  weird,  lone  Everglades, 
In  bays  and  sounds  of  Georgia, 
On  Mexico's  lagoons. 

Uncle  Sam 

[Wrathfully  to  a  large  boy  who  is  provided  with  a  small  gun  and 
represents  the  plume-hunter.] 

I  will  teach  that  rascal  manners  ! 
Let  me  have  that  little  gun  I 

[To  the  soldier] 
Put  him  in  our  iron  cage ! 

[The  soldier  leaves  with  the  plume-hunter  and  returns  after  a 
moment.] 


104  OUK   NATIVE  BIRDS 

The  Rose-breasted  Grrosbeak 

There's  another  baneful  nuisance 
By  which  we  do  suffer  much,  — 
The  professional  bird  collector, 
That  bad  man  who  steals  our  eggs. 
Nothing  does  he  with  our  bodies, 
No  use  makes  he  of  our  eggs  ; 
Just  collects  for  all  blood  money, 
Or  locks  all  up  in  his  case. 
Little  he  cares  for  our  habits, 
Nothing  cares  he  for  our  song, 
All  the  boys  that  see  him  prowling 
Surely  take  to  prowling  too. 
Killing,  stealing,  —  he  calls  taking; 
Oh,  protect  us  from  this  fiend  ! 

Uncle  Sam 
[To  the  attorneys  and  the  public] 

If  you  ever  catch  that  knave, 

I'll  put  him  in  a  dungeon 

Where  he'll  never  hurt  bird  or  beast. 

The  Blue-winged  or  the  G-reen-winged  Teal 

It  is  with  no  little  chagrin 
That  we  also  make  complaint 
Against  men  that  go  out  hunting, 
Against  boys  that  live  in  camps, 
When  their  sultry  schoolroom  closes, 
When  blue  flags  in  marshes  bloom. 


THE   BIRDS   BEFORE   UNCLE   SAM  105 

Sportsmen  hunt  us  in  the  springtime, 

When  we  wish  to  build  our  nests  ; 

From  the  flower-fringed  lakes  and  rivers 

They  drive  us  to  Arctic  lands ; 

Northward,  northward  to  Alaska, 

To  the  wilds  of  Labrador, 

To  the  dreary  Musk-ox  Barrens, — 

Scarcely  dare  our  wings  rest  there.  — 

Sportsmen,  do  give  us  a  homestead, 

Let  us  rest  in  sunny  climes  ! 

Give  us  time  to  raise  our  children, 

Give  them  time  to  learn  to  fly ! 

Boys  and  men,  when  camping,  fishing ; 

When  you  carry  guns  about, 

Do  not  shoot  at  spluttering  ducklings, 

Do  not  shoot  at  fishing  cranes  ! 

Let  the  laughing  loon  be  happy, 

Let  the  coot  play  on  the  pool ! 

Please  remember  that  in  summer, 

When  you  ramble,  play,  and  rest, 

We  are  also  playing,  resting ; 

Happy  in  our  harmless  way. 

Do  not  make  our  breasts  the  target 

For  your  deadly  ball  and  shot ! 

Lake,  and  woods,  and  pond,  and  river,  — 

Dearly  do  we  love  them  all. 

Must  we  leave  them  sad  and  lonely? 

There's  no  life  without  the  birds ! 


106  OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS 

Uncle  Sam 

Those  men  who  shoot  in  the  springtime, 

Boys  who  hunt  at  summer  camps, 

I  will  gather  on  my  flat  boats, 

Land  them  on  a  sandy  shore, 

In  the  desert  of  Sahara. 

They  may  keep  their  guns  and  cannons, 

But  never  even  see  a  crow. 

The  Orchard  Oriole 

And  at  last  we're  sad  to  mention 

That  some  schoolboys  cause  much  grief  : 

With  their  sling-shot,  with  their  air-gun, 

With  their  rifles,  snares,  and  bow, 

And  with  stones  and  sticks  and  missiles 

They  cause  many  a  bird  despair. 

Teach  them  that  a  broken  wing  bone 

Hurts  worse  than  a  broken  leg,  — 

And  we  cannot  call  the  doctor, 

Mother  cannot  bandage  it. 

Bleeding  wounds,  which  you  have  caused  us, 

Pain  us  worse  than  rusty  nails 

Driv'n  into  the  feet  of  children,  — 

And  we  have  no  balm  for  wounds. 

If  you  wound  us,  if  you  wing  us, 

We  must  die  in  agony, 

Or  a  horrid  cat  will  spy  us 

When  on  bush  or  lawn  we  rest. — 

A  few  scattered,  bloody  feathers, 


THE  BIRDS   BEFORE  UNCLE  SAM  107 

They  tell  of  your  fun  and  sport,  — 
They  tell  of  the  robin's  death. 

Uncle  Sam 

If  you  have  such  mean  boys  with  you 
I  would  like  to  run  them  in. 
I  will  put  them  in  a  dark  room, 
Where  they'll  ne'er  see  sun  or  moon. 

In  a  fort  on  some  far  island 
I'll  build  cellars  dark  and  damp. 
They'll  be  full  of  salamanders, 
Full  of  mice  and  rats  and  snakes, 
Crawling  lizards,  cold  and  clammy, 
With  the  yellow,  blotchy  spots. 
That's  my  place  for  girls  and  women 
Who  wear  murdered  birds  on  hats. 
[At  this  place,  some  music  or  a  song  should  come  in.] 


PART   SECOND 

The  Brown  Thrasher 
[Introducing  some  of  the  birds.] 
A  few  of  the  birds  are  waiting  ; 
They  wish  to  call  on  the  boys, 
They  wish  to  call  on  the  ladies  and  girls, 
And  desire  much  to  see  Uncle  Sam. 

A  Boy 

Let  the  birds  be  welcome  ! 
They  are  welcome  in  our  homes, 


108  OUR   NATIVE   BIKDS 

Welcome  they  are  in  our  schoolroom, 
They  are  welcome  everywhere  ! 

The  Robin 

1.  My  clear  happy  voice  and  my  rust-red  breast 

Are  known  to  every  child  ; 
I  feel  it's  quite  needless  to  make  an  address, 
You  've  known  me  a  long,  long  while. 

2.  When  you  hear  me  sing  from  the  top  of  the  tree 

On  the  bright  and  crisp  March  morn, 
The  baby  claps  his  hands  with  glee 

And  cries,  "  Oh,  the  robin  has  come  !  " 
[Boy  or  girl  of  eight  to  fourteen  ;  boy  with  brick-red  vest,  coat  and 
trousers  brown;    girl  with  brick-red  waist  and  brown  skirt, 
high,  white  collar  and  brown  wings  for  either  boy  or  gill.] 

The  Hummingbird 

1.  I  am  the  little  hummingbird, 

The  tiniest  in  the  hall ; 
My  breast  and  throat  are  ruby-red, 
I  scarce  eat  bugs  at  all. 

2.  The  honey  in  the  columbine, 

The  dew  on  the  woodland  rose 
That  is  the  food  on  which  I  dine, 
I  dwell  where  the  wild  vine  grows. 

3.  My  home  is  small  as  baby's  spoon, 

My  eggs  are  snowy  white ; 
Where  harebells  nod  and  lilies  bloom 

You  hear  my  humming  flight. 

[Little  girl,  ruby-red  silk  collar,  waist  white,  skirt  green,  wings 
black.] 


THE  BIRDS   BEFORE  UNCLE  SAM  109 

The   Wild  Canary 

1.  The  warblers,  wrens,  and  vireo, 

And  other  little  folks 
Too  busy  are  with  beak  and  claw 

On  nests  in  cosy  nooks. 
They  could  not  come  to  meet  at  the  club, 
They  sent  me  to  see  to  the  law. 

2.  In  brier,  thorn,  and  berry  bush 

We  sing  sweet  harmony 
Live  beauty  lend  to  herb  and  rush 

All  spring  and  summer  day. 
The  hawks  and  owls  our  twittering  mocks, 
As  chirping  we  flit  through  the  rocks. 

3.  Wild  Canary  the  children  have  called  me, 

But  the  bookish  and  prosy  bird-man 
He  dryly  wrote,  "  Yellow  Warbler," 
I  hope  his  prose  will  not  stand. 
[Boy  or  girl,  entirely  in  canary  yellow.] 

The  Catbird 

1.    To  call  me  a  Catbird  is  bad  prosy  lore, 

Call  me  Tanglefcird  rather,  'twill  please  me  much 

more. 

I  make  little  show,  my  gown  is  quite  plain, 
Tinsel,  ribbons,  and  fashion  in  the  briers  are  vain. 
I'm  a  busy  housewife  and  mother,  you  know, 
But  my  song  is  as  sweet  as  any  bird's  in  the  show. 


110  OTJB   NATIVE  BIRDS 

2.  That  farmer  there  says  I  steal  berries  and  fruit ; 
And  for  that  against  me  he  will  enter  his  suit. 
Now  his  bushes  and  shrubs  and  many  a  tree 

I  keep  from  great  worms  and  big  beetles  free 
All  the  long  springtime.     Can't  he  comprehend 
That  I  take  only  what  is  my  due  from  the  land  ? 

3.  The  robin,  myself,  the  long-tailed  thrush, 

We  gladden  his  heart  from  twig,  vine,  and  bush. 
His  horses  and  cows  surely  eat  oats  and  corn 
From  almost  the  very  first  day  they  are  born. 
Now,  my  dear  old  farmer,  don't  fume  and  fret, 
You  don't  pay  us  half  the  value  you  get. 

[Girl  of  ten  to  fourteen,  entirely  in  dark  slate-gray.] 

The  Swallows 

1.  Of  air  and  breeze  are  children  we, 

Like  summer  clouds  so  light, 
O'er  brook  and  spring  and  meadow  free 
We  wind  our  graceful  flight. 

2.  From  early  morn  till  late  at  night 

You  children  laugh  and  play, 
We  swallows  rise  with  morning's  light 
And  glide  about  all  day. 

3.  Pray,  boys,  do  not  throw  ugly  stones 

Into  our  cabin  warm, 

Pray,  to  our  shelves  and  clay-wrought  cones 
Pray,  boys,  do  us  no  harm. 


THE  BIBDS   BEFOEB  UNCLE  SAM  111 

4.  Our  beak  is  our  trowel,  for  mortar  we  took 

From  bank  and  creek  and  rill, 
With  bill  and  feet  we  must  carve  the  soft  rock, 
The  sand-bank  under  the  hill. 

5.  Our  homes  on  the  rafters  and  under  the  eaves, 

Break  not,  like  cruel  fools. 

In  hill,  crag,  and  rock  we  have  quarried  our  caves 
With  humble  and  feeble  tools. 

[Girl  of  eight  to  twelve,  short  reddish  brown  gimp,  waist  brick- 
red,  skirt  and  wings  dark  blue.] 

The  Bluebird 

I'm  loved  by  all  the  children, 

I  have  but  little  to  say ; 
Pray,  boys,  just  keep  the  sparrows 

And  all  the  cats  away. 

[Girl  of  six  to  ten,  waist  reddish  brown,  skirt  and  wings  mili- 
tary blue.] 

The  English  Sparrow 

1.  Jip,  jip,  jip  !     Who  talked  about  sparrows  ? 
Who  said,  Keep  the  sparrows  away? 

You  fellows  here  shooting  with  arrows 
Couldn't  hit  the  biggest  old  jay. 

2.  I  come  just  from  Washington  city, 
And  there  I  had  the  gayest  old  time ; 
I  sang  Uncle  Sam  a  fine  ditty,  — 

He  made  out  my  papers  in  rhyme. 


112  OUR  NATIVE   BIRDS 

3.  What's  all  this  noise  and  chirping, 
Why  all  this  attempt  at  rhymes? 
Now  stop  your  trite  opera  ding-ding, 
Better  migrate  to  pleasanter  climes  ! 

4.  I  know  you  don't  much  like  me, 
But  I  don't  care  a  grasshopper  toe. 
You  say  I  steal  fruit  and  steal  berries 
And  little  peas,  cherries,  and  sloe. 

5.  You  claim  I  frighten  all  beauty, 
I  drive  all  the  song  birds  away. 

Now,  if  your  poor  natives  can't  fight  me, 
Why  don't  they  in  deep  forests  stay  ? 

6.  Some  songster  has  prayed  to  the  chaps  here,- 
I  never  do  a  thing  like  that ; 

I'm  not  afraid  of  the  chaps  here, 
I'm  not  afraid  of  the  cat. 

7.  Your  cats  and  brats  and  whining  kids 
Are  all  much  too  stupid  for  me. 

With  sharp,  stout  bill  and  genuine  wits 
We  chirp  away,  naughty  and  free. 

8.  You  hate  me  in  parks  and  premise ; 
Why  not  give  me  notice  to  quit, 
And  after  you  give  me  the  notice, 
Why  don't  you  see  that  I  "  git "  ? 

9.  As  soon  as  the  season  opens, 
We  shall  no  more  patiently  wait, 


THE  BIRDS   BEFORE   UNCLE  SAM  113 

We'll  steal  a  free  ride  to  the  Klondyke, 
And  there  we  will  practice  to  skate. 

10.  In  fall,  oh,  fine  fighting  business ! 
For  Cuba  and  'Rico  aboard ! 

At  'Lulu  we  spend  merry  Christmas, 
And  then  for  Manila  we  start. 

11.  And  now,  I  see  you  look  weary, 
Please,  let  me  get  out  of  this  crowd ! 
Feel  hungry,  must  eat  and  keep  cheery, 
Hear  the  other  Chips  calling  me  loud ! 

[A  bold,  saucy  boy  of  six  to  ten :  gray  vest,  coat  and  trousers  brown.] 

The  Chippie 

1.  I  am  the  little  brown  chippie, 
I  dwell  in  your  clematis  vine ; 
Know  little  song  and  less  music, 
Just  love  to  live  near  mankind. 

2.  In  April's  drizzle  and  shower, 
In  flowers  and  roses  of  June, 
'Mid  golden  leaves  of  October 
You  hear  my  frolicking  tune. 

[Girl  of  six  to  ten,  entirely  in  brown,  with  reddish-brown  cap.] 

The   G-reat  Blue  Heron 

1.    I  believe  in  proud  seclusion 

No  whistle  and  no  twitter ; 
I  do  hate  this  dire  confusion, 
This  fuss,  and  din,  and  titter. 


114  OUK  NATIVE  BIRDS 

2.  Give  me  silent  meditation 

On  the  marsh  and  lonely  beach ; 
It's  in  keeping  with  my  station, 
For  the  crowd,  I'm  out  of  reach. 

3.  Music  !  What  do  you  call  music  ? 

What  these  hopping  pigmies  pipe? 
I  must  say  it  is  too  rustic, 
Simply  cannot  bear  the  like. 

4.  Let  the  wind  roar  through  the  rushes, 

Let  the  waves  plash  and  the  rain ! 
Laugh  of  loon  and  scream  of  eagle, 
Let  me  hear  the  bullfrog's  strain ! 

5.  Boys,  who  ever  saw  me  fishing, 

Know  that  I  but  seldom  lurch, 
When  I  wade  to  spear  the  pickerel, 
Catfish,  sunfish,  pike,  and  perch. 

6.  If  you  boys  would  learn  of  fishing, 

Come  and  watch  me  with  the  brant, 
Near  the  isle  of  tall  wild  cherries, 
With  the  coot  and  cormorant. 

7.  Boys,  if  you  would  master  fishing, 

Patience  you  must  have  in  store. 
Meet  me  on  the  Devil's  Backbone,1 
There  I'll  teach  you  all  the  lore. 

[Tall  boy   of  twelve  to   fourteen,  coat   and  vest  slate  gray, 
trousers  and  stockings  black,  wings  slate  gray.] 

1  Ridge  of  boulders  in  a  lake. 


THE  BIRDS  BEFORE  UNCLE  SAM  115 

The   Woodpecker 
I  am  birddom's  carpenter, 
Can  make  the  splinters  fly ; 
On  poles  and  posts  and  forest  trees 
My  merry  trade  I  ply. 
My  bill  is  my  chisel, 
My  tail  is  my  stool ; 
I'm  never  tired  of  climbing. 
For  bluebirds,  and  "  daydees," 
And  downy  owl  babies 
I  make  the  woods  ringing, 
Cut  rafters  and  railing. 

[Boy  of  ten  to  fourteen,  with  red  cap  and  collar,  white  vest, 
trousers  black,  wings  black,  with  a  large  white  spot.] 

The  Bobolink 

1.  Robert  of  Lincoln  is  my  full  name  ; 

I  sing  just  for  love,  not  for  money  or  fame. 
My  nest  on  the  meadow  few  boys  have  found  out, 
There  I  chatter  and  sing  and  gambol  about ; 
Black,  white,  and  brown  are  my  colors  so  gay, 
To  be  sure  I'm  prettier  than  any  young  jay. 

2.  Just  one  favor  I  will  ask  you  : 
Pray,  solemnly  promise  me 
Not  to  disturb  the  blackbirds 
Singing  their  "okalee." 

The  blackbirds  with  the  carmine  wings, 
And  those  with  golden  heads, 
And  grackle,  and  all  on  bush  and  reeds, 
That  bathe  where  the  cat-tails  swing. 


116  OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS 

3.    But  most  emphatically  do  I  disown 
That  laziest  of  all  the  birds, 
That  rascally  fellow  with  a  smart  cap  in  brown 
As  cowbird  you've  known  him  long. 
He  raises  his  children  by  hook  and  by  crook, 
Is  too  lazy  to  build  a  nest, 
Imposes  on  warblers  and  little  folk, 
As  a  self-invited  guest. 

[Boy  of  eight  to  twelve,  light  brown  collar,  vest  black,  coat 
white,  trousers  black,  wings  black  with  a  large  white  spot.] 

The  Tanager  and  the  Redbird 

Our  Father  endowed  us  with  color, 
He  denied  us  the  music  of  voice, 
But  when  you  see  the  redbird's  glow 
And  the  bluebird's  azure  hues, 
The  tanager's  scarlet,  the  indigo's  sheen, 
The  oriole's  orange  beneath,  — 
Thank  him  for  the  gems  of  Nature, 
The  gems  of  her  bridal  wreath. 

[Tanager:  girl,  waist  red,  skirt  black,  wings  black.  Redbird: 
girl  entirely  in  red,  with  red  cap.  One  or  both  may  speak. 
If  both  speak,  they  must  be  careful  to  keep  time  together.] 

The  Quail 

1.    In  summer  I  sit  on  the  post  and  call : 
Be  bright,  be  bright,  love  light ! 
In  winter,  dark  winter,  when  the  snow  does  fall, 
Forget  not  your  little  Bob  White. 


THE  BIRDS   BEFORE   UNCLE  SAM  117 

2.    Then  throw  me  some  wheat,  where  the  worm  fence1 

leans, 

In  garden,  brush,  or  field. 
The  winter,  cold  winter  leaves  Bob    White    few 

means,  — 
Give  him  of  your  rich  harvest  yield. 

[Boy  of  eight  to  twelve,  dressed  in  a  brown  calico  with  white 
markings  of  any  kind,  wings  of  the  same  material,  collar 
white.] 

The  Blue  Jay 

1.  Why  do  you  urchins  call  a  dandy  a  jay  ? 
Forbid  them  to  name  me  dude  ! 

All  you  pert  fellows,  I  truly  must  say, 
Are  oftentimes  painfully  rude  ! 

2.  Sure,  I  have  beauty  and  a  voice  not  so  bad, 
I  brighten  drear  winter  days  ; 

I'm  never  more  naughty  than  'most  any  lad 
Though  bird  eggs  I  need  in  my  plays. 

[Boy  of  eight  to  twelve,  vest  light  blue,  coat  and  trousers  dark 
blue,  wings  dark  blue.] 

The  Owl 

1.    Whoo-whoo,  whoo-whoo,  don't  talk  like  big  fools  ! 

Who  will  give  me  a  pair  of  smoked  glasses  ? 
My  ears  need  some  cotton,  just  reach  me  a  handful  ; 
Your  noise  sounds  like  brass  bands  in  masses. 

1  The  old-time  zig-zag  fence. 


118  OUR   NATIVE  BIRDS 

2.    Report  at  Hollow  Oaks  in  the  dawn, 

I  will  read  you  some  sense  from  sound  papers. 
But  please  be  as  quiet  as  grass  on  the  lawn, 
I  must  hear  the  mice  cut  their  capers. 

[Boy,  large  or  small ;  cap,  suit,  and  wings  of  brown,  with  white 
figures ;  two  tufts  of  brown  paper  attached  to  the  cap  will  suggest 
the  ear  feathers.] 

The   Wild  Ducks 

1.  In  reeds  and  rush  and  northern  rice  our  mother 

made  our  home, 
Under  her  wings  we  slept  at  night  on  moss  of  the 

muskrat's  dome, 

And  then  we  learned  to  dive  and  swim, 
As  never  boys  could  swim, 
And  then  we  fished  for  crab  and  leech, 
And  played  on  the  sand  of  the  rippled  beach. 

2.  When  the  bees  have  buzzed  in  the  goldenrod  long, 
Our  wings  have  grown  swift  and  strong  ; 

When  the  first  snow  falls  on  rush  and  broom, 
We  journey  southward  with  brant  and  loon. 

[Boy  of  eight  to  fourteen,  small  cap  and  collar  black,  vest  and 
trousers  very  light  gray,  coat  black,  wings  black.] 

The  Meadow  Lark 

1.    Snow,  cold,  and  drizzle  of  coming  spring, 

Can  never  make  me  cross. 

My  heart  is  ever  happy  to  sing, 

My  joy  can  never  be  lost. 


THE  BIRDS   BEFORE  UNCLE  SAM  119 

2.  Of  field  and  fallow  I  am  the  bird, 

From  post  and  wire  I  call. 
To  mope  or  fret  I  never  was  heard 
In  spring  or  summer  or  fall. 

3.  When  gossamer  white  in  autumn  floats, 

When  corn  and  grass  stand  sear, 
My  heart  still  light,  no  evil  forbodes, 
I  still  caU  "  Spring  of  the  Year  !  " 

4.  If  storms  of  life  and  toilsome  strife 

Load  you  with  care  and  fear, 
Remember  the  meadow  lark's  cheerful  life, 
The  song  of  "  Spring  of  the  Year  !  " 

[Girl  of  ten  to  fourteen,  waist  yellow  with  a  crescent  of  very 
dark  brown,  skirt  and  wings  a  lighter  brown.] 

The  Baltimore  Oriole 

1.  Hark,  the  orioles  are  calling 
From  the  spreading  elm  ! 

No  more  snow  and  frost  is  falling, 
Summer  rules  the  realm. 

2.  Color  flashes  through  the  bowers, 
Sunlight  on  the  lawn  ; 
Winter  fled  and  April  showers 
For  the  south  wind's  balm. 

3.  On  the  swaying  bough  they're  singing, 
Weaving  hammock  nests, 


120  OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS 

Fair  sunshine  and  flowers  they're  bringing, 
Our  resplendent  guests. 

[Girl  of  eight  to  fourteen,  cap  black,  waist  bright  orange,  skirt 
black  with  two  long  yellow  triangles  tapering  upward,  wings 
black  with  white  edges.] 

The  Child  and  the  Chickadee 

1.  Oh,  there's  the  little  chickadee  bird 

That  climbs  on  our  trees,  the  large  and  the  small. 
Oh,  tell  me,  what  do  you  find  on  the  fir, 
And  aren't  you  afraid  you  will  fall  ? 

2.  Why  child,  great  beetles,  ugly  with  frowns, 
And  spiders  and  other  big  cattle. 

I  wonder,  can't  children  see  the  big  clowns, 
And  can  you  not  hear  the  bark  rattle  ? 

3.  Now  tell  me,  little  birdie  so  spry, 

Who  washes  your  face  so  clean  and  so  nice  ? 
And  do  you  ever  fret,  trample,  and  cry 
When  cold  water  runs  in  your  eyes  ? 

4.  You  babies  are  the  funniest  things 
Your  mothers  could  possibly  have, 

With  pumpkin  heads,  with  big  eyes,  and  no  wings  ! 
Your  questions  make  chickadees  laugh. 

5.  In  any  weather  give  us  a  bath ; 
We  find  it  the  greatest  delight 

To  splash,  where  brooklets  are  running  so  fast 
They  don't  get  the  time  to  freeze  tight. 


THE  BIRDS  BEFORE  UNCLE  SAM  121 

6.  Ugh,  birdie,  birdie,  how  do  you  dare  ? 
You'll  catch  a  bad  cold  like  dear  auntie  Ruth. 
And  how  do  you  wipe  your  toes  in  the  air, 
Where's  apron  and  towel  for  your  use  ? 

7.  Catch  cold,  rheumatism  and  apron  and  what  ? 
I  know  every  bug  on  the  shrubs  ; 

There  are  no  colds,  and  no  "  tisms  "  on  the  lot, 
I  never  catch  colds,  —  I  catch  bugs. 

8.  I  never  wipe  with  towels  and  things  ; 
My  feet  are  dry  in  no  time, 

I  strip  my  feathers  and  fan  my  wings, 
Then  shake  them,  and  fly  off  to  climb. 

9.  Now  tell,  where  are  the  chickadee  birds, 
When  storms  blow  and  owls  hoot  at  night, 
When  wolves  prowl  after  the  sheep  and  the  herds, 
I  scarcely  can  sleep  for  sheer  fright  ? 

10.    Let  storm,  let  wolf,  let  owl  hoot  or  howl ; 
The  snow,  let  it  blow,  let  it  crunch. 
We  feel  not  the  storm  and  we  fear  not  the  owl, 
In  tree  holes  we  sleep  in  a  bunch. 

[A  little  girl  speaks  the  child's,  a  little  boy  the  bird's  part.  For 
the  boy  a  light  gray  collar,  and  vest ;  wings,  coat,  and  trousers 
black.] 

Uncle.  Sam 

If  you  make  the  birds  as  happy 
In  your  yards,  in  parks  and  fields, 
As  they  are  now  in  your  schoolroom, 
You  will  ever  have  grateful  friends. 


122  OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS 

Early  on  the  summer  morning 
They  will  call  you,  sing  to  you ; 
Sadly  they  will  part  in  autumn, 
Gladly  come  again  in  spring. — 
Herewith  stands  the  court  adjourned. 


EXTRACT  FROM  MR.  HORNADAY'S  REPORT 

"  Conclusions  Regarding  Birds. — Regarding  the  avian 
fauna  of  the  United  States,  the  following  conclusions 
are  justified  by  facts :  — 

"1.  Throughout  about  three-fifths  of  the  whole  area 
of  our  country,  exclusive  of  Alaska,  bird  life  in  general 
is  being  annihilated. 

"2.  The  edible  birds,  about  144  species,  have  been, 
and  still  are,  most  severely  persecuted. 

"  3.  In  many  localities  edible  birds  of  nearly  all  spe- 
cies have  become  rare,  and  some  important  species  are 
on  the  point  of  general  extermination. 

"4.  Owing  to  the  disappearance  of  the  true  game 
birds,  our  song  and  insectivorous  birds  are  now  being 
killed  for  food  purposes,  and,  unless  prevented,  this 
abuse  of  nature  is  likely  to  become  general. 

"  5.  The  extermination,  throughout  this  country,  of 
the  so-called  4 plume  birds'  is  now  practically  complete. 

"  6.  The  persecution  of  our  birds  during  their  nesting 
season,  by  egg  collectors  and  by  boys  generally,  has 
become  so  universal  as  to  demand  immediate  and  special 
attention. 


BXTEACT  FROM  MR.    HORNADAY'S   REPORT        123 

"  7.  Excepting  in  a  few  localities,  existing  measures 
for  the  protection  of  birds,  as  they  are  carried  into  effect, 
are  notoriously  inadequate  for  the  maintenance  of  a 
proper  balance  of  bird  life. 

"8.  Destructive  agencies  are  constantly  on  the 
increase. 

"  9.  Under  present  conditions,  and  excepting  in  a  few 
localities,  the  practical  annihilation  of  all  our  birds, 
except  the  smallest  species,  and  within  a  comparatively 
short  period,  may  be  regarded  as  absolutely  certain  to 
occur.1 

"  10.  If  the  present  war  of  extermination  is  to  be  term- 
inated, drastic  measures  must  be  adopted  and  resolutely 
carried  out ;  and  the  crusade  for  protection  must  be 
general.  No  half-way  measures  will  suffice  ;  and  it  is 
to  be  expected  that  some  of  the  destroyers  will  be 
displeased. 

"  Recommendations  Regarding  Birds.  — While  at  first 
thought  it  may  seem  impossible  to  propose  a  series  of 
universal  laws  for  bird  protection  that  can  save  our 
bird  fauna  from  annihilation,  even  if  adopted  by  the 
different  states,  we  believe  it  will  be  found  on  close 
examination  that  the  task  is  not  nearly  so  difficult  as  it 
seems.  The  difficulty  lies,  not  in  the  framing  of  com- 
prehensive measures,  but  in  securing  their  adoption  in 
the  various  groups  of  states  wherein  they  are  needed. 
The  business  of  securing  the  enactment  of  legislation 

1  The  protection  of  migratory  birds  must  be  general  in  order  to  be 
effective.  New  Orleans  should  not  rob  Cheyenne  of  the  fruit  of  her 
labors  in  the  field  for  protection. 


124  OUR   NATIVE   BIKDS 

is  a  separate  question,  and  need  not  be  discussed 
here.  As  to  the  character  of  the  legislation  that 
would  be  most  effective,  there  are  certain  demands 
so  imperative  as  to  be  perfectly  obvious,  and  the  laws 
that  would  satisfy  them  would  be  so  universally  bene- 
ficial, their  enactment  would  be  desirable  to  every 
state  and  territory,  save  two  or  three.  They  are  as 
follows  :  — 

"  1.  Prohibit  all  egg  collecting,  except  under  license 
from  state  game  commissioners,  and  the  payment  of  a 
license  fee. 

"2.  Provide  for  the  extermination  of  the  English 
sparrow. 

"  3.    Prohibit  the  sale  of  dead  game,  at  all  seasons.1 

"  4.  Prohibit  the  killing  or  capture  of  wild  birds,  and 
of  quadrupeds,  other  than  fur-bearing  animals,  for  com- 
mercial purposes  of  any  kind.  [This  will  stop  the 
slaughter  of  birds  for  millinery  purposes.] 

"  5.    Prohibit  all  spring  shooting. 

"  6.  Prohibit  the  carrying  or  using  of  a  gun  without 
a  license. 

"  7.  For  three  years  prohibit  the  killing  or  capture  of 
any  birds,  except  such  birds  of  prey  as  may  be  declared 
by  the  U.  S.  Biological  Survey  to  be  sufficiently  noxious 
to  merit  destruction.  The  only  exception  should  be  in 
favor  of  persons  desiring  to  collect  for  scientific  pur- 
poses, in  moderation,  and  then  only  when  properly 

1  This  has  long  been  earnestly  advocated  by  Forest  and  Stream,  and 
the  proposition  is  constantly  gaining  advocates.  It  is  also  one  of  the 
planks  in  the  platform  of  the  League  of  American  Sportsmen. 


EXTRACT  FROM  MR.  HORNADAY'S  REPORT   125 

vouched  for  by  some  scientific  institution,  and  duly 
licensed  by  the  state  game  commissioners. 

"  8.  At  the  end  of  three  years,  restrict  by  legal 
enactment  the  number  of  game  birds  that  may  be 
taken  in  one  day,  or  in  any  given  period,  by  a  single 
individual." 

Most  of  these  demands  are  now  embodied  in  the 
game  laws  of  Minnesota  and  of  several  other  states. 
Copies  of  these  laws  can  be  secured  from  the  respective 
state  game  wardens.  Since  Mr.  Hornaday's  report 
was  written,  the  cause  of  bird  and  game  protection 
has  made  considerable  progress  and  the  prospects  are, 
on  the  whole,  decidedly  encouraging. 


SECTION  VII 

GAME  PROTECTION  FROM  THE  NATURE  LOVER'S 
POINT  OF  VIEW 

Better  to  hunt  in  fields  for  health  unbought, 
Than  fee  the  doctor  for  a  nauseous  draught. 

The  wise  for  cure  on  exercise  depend ; 
God  never  made  his  work  for  man  to  mend. 

DRYDEN,  Cymon  and  Iphigenia. 

IT  is  not  necessary  to  argue  game  and  fish  protec- 
tion with  the  intelligent  and  broad-minded  sportsmen. 
They  have  long  become  aware  that  the  treasures  of 
large  and  of  small  game  mammals,  of  aquatic  and  gal- 
linaceous birds,  and  of  game  fish  which  nature  has  so 
lavishly  bestowed  upon  this  country  are  nevertheless 
far  from  inexhaustible.  In  fact,  none  of  nature's  treas- 
ures are  inexhaustible,  when  greed,  folly,  and  ignorance 
form  the  exploitation  company  and  begin,  as  they  al- 
ways do,  by  cutting  down  the  trees  that  bear  the  golden 
apples.  Much  progress  has  been  made  within  recent 
years  for  the  sportsmen  and  by  them.  The  League  of 
American  Sportsmen  has  already  been  organized  in 
thirteen  states,  and  it  will  not  be  long  before  this  so- 
ciety will  extend  its  work  to  every  state  and  territory. 

Is  it  Right  to  Hunt  and  Fish  ?  —  Many  a  lover  of 
nature  and  many  a  parent  and  teacher  has  no  doubt 
asked  himself :  Is  it  right  to  take  animal  life  for  sport 
and  recreation  ?  Should  I  buy  my  boy  the  gun  that 

126 


GAME  PROTECTION  127 

he  is  so  longing  for  and  which  he  would  value  higher 
than  all  the  wealth  and  glory  of  Solomon  ?  Most  of 
us  concede  that  it  is  right  to  kill  animals  for  food  and 
clothing,  and  to  enslave  them  to  do  our  heavy  work. 
These  points  we  must  concede  or  turn  vegetarians,  and, 
if  all  mankind  became  vegetarian  they  would  have  to 
kill  a  few  animals  now  and  then  or  the  animals  would 
kill  them  and  crowd  them  off  the  earth.  As  a  food  sup- 
ply, wild  mammals  and  birds  are  of  importance  only  in 
frontier  settlements.  If  we  kill  and  eat  wild  or  tame 
animals,  we  destroy  a  lower  form  of  life  so  that  a  higher 
form  may  continue.  This  is  in  general  the  course  of 
nature.  If  the  fatigued  business  man,  statesman,  and 
professional  man  leave  the  bustle  of  the  city,  the  dust, 
and  the  artificial  light  of  their  offices  to  gain  new  health 
and  elasticity  of  mind  and  body  on  bass  and  trout 
streams,  or  with  the  wild  ducks  on  the  weird  sea-coast 
and  inland  marshes,  or  on  a  stalk  after  deer  and  moose 
in  the  wild  woods,  they  do  nothing  wrong.  On  the 
contrary  they  make  the  wild  creatures  of  woods,  lakes, 
fields,  and  stream  serve  a  far  higher  purpose  than  he 
who  kills  them  merely  to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  a  hun- 
gry stomach.  If  the  President  of  the  United  States 
can  keep  in  good  health  and  buoyant  spirits  by  going 
on  a  duck-shooting  trip,  so  that  he  can  more  safely  steer 
the  nation  through  all  the  vicissitudes  of  national  and 
international  difficulties,  by  all  means  let  him  go  after 
the  ducks,  whenever  his  duties  permit.  The  ducks  he 
bags  could  not  be  sacrificed  for  a  more  worthy  purpose. 
The  question  has  still  another  aspect.  If  game  were 


128  OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS 

not  hunted  for  sport,  it  would  be  hunted  for  profit  by 
the  market  hunter.  Thus  a  few  men  would  benefit, 
while  the  large  number  would  be  excluded.  In  some 
localities  birds  and  beasts  of  prey  would  greatly  in- 
crease, and  in  other  regions  game  animals  would  have 
to  be  destroyed  to  prevent  damage  to  agricultural  or 
stock-raising  interests. 

Therefore,  if  you  feel  inclined  to  use  gun  and  rod, 
follow  your  inclination,  but  obey  the  game  laws,  so  that 
the  next  man  will  also  have  some  recreation  left,  in  other 
words  :  Don't  be  a  game  hog  or  a  fish  hog !  If  your 
boy  wants  a  gun,  by  all  means  buy  him  one  if  you  can 
afford  it,  but  have  him  taught  how  to  handle  it,  and 
what  is  game  and  what  is  not.  A  week  after  chickens, 
ducks,  or  deer  will  do  you  more  good  than  all  the  pills 
you  can  buy  and  eat  in  a  twelvemonth. 

Every  one  who  has  looked  into  the  question  knows 
that  real  sportsmen  kill  their  game  more  humanely 
than  market  hunters,  head,  skin  or  bounty  hunters. 
A  man  who  hunts  wolves  and  coyotes  for  bounty  is, 
however,  doing  good  work  for  the  sportsmen  as  well  as 
for  farmers  and  stock-raisers. 

If  you  go  into  fields  and  woods  for  sport,  do  not  shoot 
unless  you  have  a  reasonable  chance  to  kill,  and  always 
try  to  procure  the  animal  you  have  wounded.  A  sports- 
man is  not  a  savage,  he  leaves  something  for  his  neigh- 
bor, and  does  not  kill  and  catch  more  than  he  can  use. 
A  sportsman  never  shoots  a  doe  and  starves  the  suck- 
ling fawn,  he  never  kills  the  mother  bird  and  starves  the 
nestlings.  Nor  would  he  think  of  snaring  or  trapping 


GAME  PROTECTION  129 

any  wild  creature  in  a  way  that  would  prolong  its  misery 
for  hours,  or  even  for  days. 

The  sportsman  does  not  forget  that  animals  have 
rights.  Every  species,  except  a  parasite,  has  the  right 
to  exist,  and  true  sportsmen  have  always  been  ready  to 
protect  species  threatened  by  extermination.  The 
scientist  and  the  lover  of  nature  can  view  only  with 
feelings  of  the  deepest  concern  and  regret,  the  disappear- 
ance of  any  species  from  our  fauna  or  flora.  The  fauna 
of  the  earth  is  already  much  impoverished  by  the  extinc- 
tion of  many  large  mammals  and  birds  both  on  this  and 
other  continents*  Many  of  the  large  mammals  of  the 
Quaternary  period  have  most  likely  been  exterminated 
by  prehistoric  man.  Several  nations,  including  the 
United  States,  have  established  reservations  which  fur- 
nish an  asylum  for  the  wild  creatures  of  the  land.  In 
this  country  we  have  the  Yellowstone  Park,  and  there 
are  no  reasons  why  forest  reserves  should  not  furnish  an 
undisturbed  breeding  ground  for  large  game.  The 
German  government  has  established  in  its  African 
possessions  forest  reserves  for  the  African  elephant  and 
other  large  game. 

It  goes  without  argument  that  every  lover  of  nature 
would  like  to  see  all  our  wild  animals  preserved  from 
extinction.  This  protection  is,  however,  of  special 
interest  to  all  bird  lovers,  and  they  should,  therefore, 
do  all  in  their  power  to  further  the  cause  of  game  and 
fish  protection. 

As  has  already  been  shown  in  a  previous  chapter,  the 
extinction  of  game  birds  would  undoubtedly  be  followed 


130  OUR   NATIVE   BIRDS 

by  the  hunting  of  song  birds.  But  while  we  have  game 
fish  to  angle,  and  mammals  and  real  game  birds  to 
hunt,  the  shooting  of  song  birds  is  looked  upon  as  small 
and  disgraceful,  and  popular  opinion  can  easily  be 
educated  to  stigmatize  it  as  contemptible  and  criminal. 
Laws  protecting  song  birds  would  be  much  more  diffi- 
cult to  enforce  after  our  fish  and  game  had  become  ex- 
tinct. In  England,  Germany,  France,  and  Austria, 
laws  for  the  protection  of  song  birds,  even  if  rigidly 
observed,  are  only  partially  effective,  because  in  several 
South  European  countries  these  same  protected  birds 
are  caught,  netted,  and  killed  by  tens  of  thousands 
during  the  fall  and  spring  migrations.  There  is  no 
game  left  in  these  countries,  and  it  will  take  decades 
before  the  people  there  will  appreciate  the  value  and 
the  ethics  of  bird  protection. 

Everyone  interested  in  game  protection  should  join 
the  League  of  American  Sportsmen.  Drop  a  post  card 
for  information  to  the  L.  A.  S.  Warden  in  your  state, 
or  to  the  League  of  American  Sportsmen,  19  West  24th 
Street,  New  York. 

This  is  a  matter  in  which  all  grades  and  classes  of 
schools  should  be  interested,  but  I  regret  to  say  that 
not  many  teachers  have  even  begun  to  do  their  duty 
towards  the  birds  and  our  wild  kindred.  I  hope  that 
in  the  near  future  the  League  of  American  Sportsmen 
may  devise  a  plan  by  which  boys  in  high  schools, 
normal  schools,  and  academies,  and  young  men  in 
college  may  join  the  league  for  a  nominal  sum,  — 
which  should  entitle  them  to  membership  until  they 


GAME  PKOTECTION  131 

have  begun  to  earn  money  for  themselves.  One  dollar 
a  year  is  a  small  fee,  but  it  is  a  large  sum  for  a  school- 
boy and  for  many  college  students.  The  league  must 
get  the  boys,  and  many  of  them  will  join  if  the  right 
terms  are  offered. 

HUNTING  WITH  A  CAMEBA 

If  hunting  with  a  gun  is  against  your  taste,  then 
hunt  with  a  camera.  You  can  then  shoot  in  your  yard 
and  in  city  parks,  you  can  hunt  at  any  time  of  the  year, 
and  you  will  never  need  to  harm  any  living  creature. 
Hunting  with  a  camera  calls  for  even  greater  zeal  and 
endurance  than  hunting  with  gun  and  rifle,  and  is  an 
outdoor  sport  that  cannot  be  too  highly  recommended 
to  girls  and  ladies  as  well  as  to  men  and  boys. 

The  average  American  men  are  as  strong  and  as 
robust  as  the  men  of  any  European  nation.  It  has 
been  doubted  by  people  who  have  had  opportunities  for 
observing  that  the  average  American  woman  is  as 
strong  as  her  European  sister.  Our  boys  practice  all 
kinds  of  sports  and  athletics,  our  girls  are  too  much 
confined  to  an  indoor  life. 

Let  them  accompany  their  brothers  and  friends  into 
woods  and  fields  and  experience  the  buoyancy  of  rough- 
ing it.  There  can  be  nothing  unwomanly  in  hunting 
with  a  camera. 

See:  H.  S.  Salt.  "Animals'  Rights."  The  Macmillan  Com- 
pany, New  York  and  London.  The  author  condemns  hunting 
entirely.  He  says,  "  The  sportsman  being,  in  the  great  majority 
of  instances,  a  man  of  slow  perception,  he  naturally  finds  it  much 
easier  to  follow  the  hounds  than  to  follow  an  argument." 


132  OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS 

THE  PURPOSE  AND  THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  THE  LEAGUE 
OF  AMERICAN  SPORTSMEN 

The  League  of  American  Sportsmen  is  organized  for 
the  purpose  of  protecting  the  game  and  game  fishes  ; 
the  song,  insectivorous,  and  other  innocent  birds,  not 
classed  as  game  birds. 

Its  prime  object  is  to  enforce  game  laws,  where  such 
exist,  and  to  secure  and  enforce  such  laws  where  not 
now  in  existence. 

It  aims  to  promote  good  fellowship  among  sportsmen ; 
to  foster  in  the  minds  of  the  people  a  love  of  nature 
and  of  nature's  works  ;  to  encourage  the  propagation 
of  game  and  game  fishes,  and  the  re-stocking  of  game 
fields  and  public  waters.  To  these  ends  it  will  act  in 
unison  with  state,  county,  and  municipal  authorities 
who  aim  at  similar  ends.1 

The  League  of  American  Sportsmen  will  not  com- 
pete with  any  other  organization  that  has  similar 
objects  in  view.  On  the  contrary,  it  desires  to  enlist 
the  sympathies  of,  and  to  cooperate  with,  all  such. 

The  League  of  American  Sportsmen  is  opposed  to 
excessive  slaughter  of  game  and  fish,  under  the  name 
of  sport.  We  are  opposed  to  the  killing  of  any  inno- 

1  A  person  knowing  of  violations  of  the  game  laws  should  promptly 
notify  the  L.  A.  S.  game  warden  or  the  respective  state  game  warden, 
who  may  be  addressed  in  the  following  manner  :  — 
STATE  GAME  WARDEN, 

ST.  PAUL,  MINN. 

The  office  of  the  state  game  warden  is  nearly  always  at  the  state 
capital. 


GAME  PROTECTION  133 

cent  bird  or  animal,  which  is  not  game,  in  the  name  of 
sport,  or  in  wantonness,  or  for  commercial  purposes. 

We  are  opposed  to  the  sale  of  game  and  game  fishes, 
at  all  times  and  under  all  circumstances. 

We  believe  in  reasonable  bags.  We  believe  the  kill- 
ing of  game  and  the  taking  of  fish  should  be  limited  by 
law,  not  only  as  to  seasons,  but  that  the  bag  for  any 
one  man  for  a  day,  and  for  a  season,  should  be  defined 
by  law. 

We  believe  in  a  gun-license  law,  with  severe  penal- 
ties for  violations  thereof. 

We,  as  individual  members  of  this  League,  pledge 
ourselves  to  work  for  the  education  of  the  public,  and 
especially  of  our  boys,  on  the  lines  indicated  above  ;  to 
cooperate  with  our  officers,  and  with  state  or  municipal 
officers,  in  the  enforcement  of  game  laws,  whenever  an 
opportunity  offers. 

EXTRACT  PROM  THE  CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  L.  A.  S. 

ARTICLE  I 

SECTION  1.  This  organization  shall  be  known  as  the 
LEAGUE  OF  AMERICAN  SPORTSMEN. 

SEC.  2.  Its  objects  shall  be  the  preservation  and 
propagation  of  game  and  game  fishes,  of  song  and 
insectivorous  birds  and  of  forests;  the  education  of 
men,  women  and  children  to  a  love  of  nature  and  of 
nature's  works ;  to  a  proper  respect  for  game  laws  and 
to  a  proper  abhorrence  for  the  custom  so  prevalent  to- 


134  OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS 

day,  among  men  and  boys,  of  killing  every  living  thing 
found  in  the  woods,  for  the  mere  sake  of  killing. 

ARTICLE  in 

SEC.  2.  Any  woman  may  become  an  associate  member 
by  complying  with  the  provisions  of  Section  1.  Associate 
members  shall  have  all  the  privileges  of  the  League  except 
those  of  voting  and  holding  office. 

SEC.  3.  All  ministers  of  the  gospel  and  all  teachers  in 
universities,  colleges,  public  or  private  schools  who  will 
pledge  themselves  to  cooperate  with  the  League  of  Ameri- 
can Sportsmen  in  educating  their  people  to  respect  game 
and  fish  laws  and  to  aid  in  the  preservation  of  birds,  mam- 
mals, fishes  and  forests,  shall,  on  application,  be  made  hon- 
orary members  of  the  L.  A.  S. 

OFFICERS  OF  THE  LEAGUE  OF  AMERICAN  SPORTSMEN 

President,  G.  O.  Shields,  19  West  Twenty-fourth  street,  New 
York.i 

1st  Vice-President,  Dr.  C.  Hart  Merriam,  Washington,  D.C. 

2d  Vice-President,  E.  S.  Thompson,  144  Fifth  avenue,  New 
York. 

3d  Vice-President,  Hon.  W.  A.  Richards,  General  Land  Office, 
Washington,  D.C. 

4thVice-President,  W.  T.  Hornaday,  69  Wall  street,  New  York. 

5th  Vice-President,  A.  A.  Anderson,  93  Fifth  avenue,  New  York. 

Secretary,  Arthur  F.  Rice,  155  Pennington  avenue,  Passaic,  N.J. 

Treasurer,  F.  S.  Hyatt,  National  Exchange  Bank,  90  West 
Broadway,  New  York. 

General  Counsel,  Julius  H.  Seymour,  35  Wall  street,  New  York. 

1  Taken  from  Recreation,  October,  1899. 


GAME  PROTECTION  135 

NEW  YORK  DIVISION. 
A.  E.  Pond,  Chief  Warden,  124  Fifth  avenue,  New  York. 

PENNSYLVANIA  DIVISION. 
C.  P.  Emerson,  Chief  Warden,  189  North  Perry  street,  Titusville. 

NEW  JERSEY  DIVISION. 
A.  W.  Van  Saun,  Chief  Warden,  Pompton  Plains. 

MASSACHUSETTS  DIVISION. 
Dr.  Heber  Bishop,  Chief  Warden,  4  Post-office  square,  Boston. 

CONNECTICUT  DIVISION. 
Kalph  B.  Lawton,  Chief  Warden,  Bridgeport. 

MICHIGAN  DIVISION. 
J.  Elmer  Pratt,  Chief  Warden,  Grand  Rapids. 

MONTANA  DIVISION. 
Professor  M.  J.  Elrod,  Chief  Warden,  Missoula. 

WASHINGTON  DIVISION. 
J.  S.  Stangroom,  Chief  Warden,  New  Whatcom. 

WYOMING  DIVISION. 
Dr.  Frank  Dunham,  Chief  Warden,  Lander. 

WISCONSIN  DIVISION. 
James  T.  Drought,  Chief  Warden,  Milwaukee. 

OHIO  DIVISION. 
L.  H.  Reutinger,  Chief  Warden,  Athens. 

ILLINOIS  DIVISION. 
H.  W.  Loveday,  Chief  Warden,  Schiller  Building,  Chicago. 

MINNESOTA  DIVISION. 
S.  A.  Smart,  Chief  Warden,  G.  N.  Gen.  Office,  St.  Paul. 

Applications  for  membership  and  orders  for  badges  should  be  ad- 
dressed to  Arthur  F.  Rice,  Secretary,  19  West  Twenty-fourth  street, 
New  York.  For  a  list  of  Local  Wardens  see  Recreation. 


136  OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS 


EXTRACTS  FROM  MR.  HORNADAY'S  REPORT 

"Species  Reported  as  *  Extinct/  or  'Becoming  Extinct/ 
Mammals. 

"  The  larger  quadrupeds,  generally       ....  6  reports. 

Bison ;  Buffalo  (Bos  americanus) 15  reports. 

Elk;  Wapiti  (Cervus  canadensis) 22  reports. 

Moose  (Alces  americana) 7  reports. 

Virginia,  or  White-tailed  Deer  (Cariacus  virginianus)  32  reports. 
Mule  Deer  ( Cariacus  macrotis)      .     '    .         .        .         .3  reports. 

Black-tailed  Deer  (Cariacus  columbianus)     ...  1  report. 

Woodland  Caribou  (Rangifer  caribou)          ...  2  reports. 

Prong-horned  Antelope  (Antilocapra  americana)  .         .  15  reports. 

Mountain  Sheep  (Ovis  montana) 10  reports. 

Mountain  Goat  (Haploceros  montanus)          ...  2  reports. 

1  Bears,  generally,' 1  report. 

California  Grizzly  Bear  (  Ursus  horribilis  horriceus)       .  2  reports. 

Black  Bear  (  Ursus  americanus) 15  reports. 

Jaguar  (Felis  onca) 1  report. 

Puma ;  Mountain  Lion  (Felis  concolor)        .        .        .  6  reports. 

Red  Lynx  (Lynx  rufus) 5  reports. 

Otter  (Lutra  canadensis)       .        .        .        .        .         .11  reports. 

Beaver  (Castor  canadensis) 22  reports. 

Birds. 

"  All  birds,  generally 3  reports. 

Game  birds,  generally  (meaning  gallinaceous  species)  .  5  reports. 

Shore  birds,  generally 5  reports. 

Geese  and  ducks,  generally 20  reports. 

Herons  and  egrets,  generally ;  plume  birds  .        .        .12  reports. 

Hawks,  generally 3  reports. 

Owls,  generally 4  reports. 


GAME   PROTECTION  137 

Wild  Turkey  (Meleagris  gallopavo)  .  .  .  .30  reports. 
Ruffed  Grouse  (Bonasa  umbellus)  .  .  .  .20  reports. 
Pinnated  Grouse;  Prairie  Hen  (Tympanuchus  ameri- 

canus) 13  reports. 

Heath  Hen  (  Tympanuchus  cupido)         ....       1  report. 
Passenger  Pigeon  (Ectopistes  migratorius)     .        .         .35  reports. 

Bluebird  (Sialia  sialis) 15  reports. 

Carolina  Paroquet  (Conurus  carolinensis)     ...       5  reports. 

Wood  Duck  (Aix  sponsa) 5  reports. 

Flamingo  (Phcenicopterus  ruber)    .         .         .        .        .1  report. 

Roseate  Spoonbill  (Ajaja  ajaja) 3  reports. 

White  Heron  (Ardea  candidissimd)  .  .  .  .10  reports. 
Ivory-billed  Woodpecker  (Campephilus  principalis)  .  4  reports. 
Pileated  Woodpecker  (Ceophlceus  pileatus)  .  .  4  reports. 

California  Vulture  (Pseudogryphus  californianus)         .       1  report. 

"  From  a  much,  larger  number  of  birds  and  mammals 
than  are  included  in  the  above  lists,  these  have  been 
selected  because  there  is  good  reason  to  believe  that, 
under  present  conditions,  they  are  all  certain  to  become 
practically  extinct  throughout  the  whole  United  States 
within  a  few  years.  For  the  majority  of  the  above, 
total  extinction  —  which  means  the  death  of  the  last 
individual  of  a  species  or  race  —  probably  is  far  away. 
The  qualified  term,  practical  extinction,  now  destined 
to  come  into  very  general  use,  may  properly  be  applied 
to  any  species  which  has  become  so  rare  in  a  state  of 
nature  that  it  is  an  impossibility  to  discover  living 
representatives  by  seeking  for  them.  The  larger  and 
more  conspicuous  the  quadruped  or  bird,  the  more 
quickly  it  is  exterminated.  All  persons  who  have 
any  regard  for  the  preservation  of  the  few  wild  herds 


138  OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS 

of  elk,  antelope,  deer,  mountain  sheep,  and  other  'big 
game '  mammals  that  still  exist  in  our  country,  should 
be  warned  by  the  fate  of  the  great  northern  herd  of 
American  bison,  and  act  in  time.  In  1880  it  was  esti- 
mated by  the  hunters  and  fur-buyers  of  Montana  that 
'the  buffalo  range'  of  Montana,  Wyoming,  and  west- 
ern Dakota  contained  five  hundred  thousand  buffaloes  ; 
and  I  think  the  estimate  was  not  over  the  mark.  On 
June  1,  1883,  less  than  four  hundred  individuals  re- 
mained ;  and  it  was  several  years  before  the  people  of 
the  United  States  awoke  to  a  realization  of  the  fact  that 
the  great  buffalo  herds  were  actually  and  absolutely 
gone!  With  the  fate  of  the  buffalo  before  our  eyes,  it 
requires  no  seer  to  predict,  with  absolute  certainty,  that 
unless  thorough  and  drastic  measures  are  immediately 
taken  to  preserve  the  remnants  of  our  once  splendid 
herds  of  game  quadrupeds,  and  flocks  of  game  birds, 
a  very  few  years  more  —  we  will  say  ten  for  some  and 
fifteen  for  others  —  will  find  our  country  without  enough 
wild  representatives  of  those  species  to  stock  a  zoologi- 
cal garden. 

"  Conclusions  Regarding  Western  Mammals.  — 
"  1.  Throughout  the  whole  region  west  of  the  Missis- 
sippi River,  except  in  the  Yellowstone  Park  and  Colo- 
rado, all  the  large  quadrupeds,  save  gray  wolves  and 
coyotes,  are  being  shot  down  several  times  faster  than 
they  multiply. 

"  2.  Under  existing  conditions,  their  general  annihila- 
tion within  a  few  years'  time  (save  in  the  two  localities 
noted)  may  be  regarded  as  a  certainty. 


GAME  PEOTBCTION  139 

"  3.  Outside  of  areas  actually  protected,  the  prong- 
horned  antelope  will  be  the  next  large  species  to  disap- 
pear ;  and  it  will  be  closely  followed  by  the  mountain 
sheep,  mountain  goat,  California  grizzly  bear,  beaver, 
elk,  and  mule  deer. 

"4.  It  should  be  accepted  as  a  fixed  fact  that  any 
western  state  or  territory  so  sparsely  settled  that  large 
quadrupeds  can  successfully  hide  and  breed  in  its  wil- 
derness areas,  is  not  financially  able  to  employ  a  force  of 
salaried  game  wardens  large  enough  to  maintain  surveil- 
lance over  all  persons  who  are  inclined  to  kill  game. 

"5.  The  professional  guides  and  hunters,  the  ranch- 
men and  other  country  residents  of  the  Rocky  Mountain 
and  Pacific  Coast  regions,  are  the  only  men  who  have  it 
within  their  power,  or  who  ever  will  have  it  within  their 
power,  to  save  our  noblest  species  of  wild  game  animals 
from  complete  annihilation. 

"  6.  These  men  are  the  ones  who  will  lose  most,  both 
in  money  and  in  food,  by  the  destruction  of  the  game 
animals  that  now  furnish  them  a  valuable  source  of 
revenue. 

"Recommendations  Regarding  Mammals. — 1.  As  a 
matter  of  duty  to  their  own  interests,  the  guides, 
hunters,  ranchmen,  and  sportsmen  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tain and  Pacific  Coast  regions  should  assemble  and 
decide  what  restrictions  shall  be  placed  upon  the  kill- 
ing of  large  game  —  as  to  the  number  of  head  per  man 
that  may  be  taken,  license  fees  and  fines,  and  as  to  the 
necessity  of  total  prohibition  for  given  periods. 

"  2.   Every  state  and  territory  now  inhabited  by  large 


140  OUR   NATIVE  BIRDS 

game  should  immediately  enact  a  law  prohibiting  the 
killing  of  any  female  hoofed  animal,  under  any  and  all 
circumstances,  and  also  prohibiting  the  killing  of  any 
hoofed  animal  less  than  one  year  old. 

"3.  Throughout  every  state  and  territory  now  in- 
habited by  them,  the  killing  of  antelope,  mountain 
sheep  and  mountain  goats  should  be  absolutely  pro- 
hibited for  ten  years  ;  and  the  possession  of  a  fresh 
skin  or  head  should  be  regarded  as  prima  facie  evi- 
dence of  violation  of  law. 

"4.  Henceforth  every  person  visiting  the  Western 
regions  in  quest  of  large  game  should  regard  it  as  his 
duty  to  cooperate  with  state  and  territorial  authorities 
in  the  observance  and  enforcement  of  the  game  laws,  to 
kill  sparingly  at  all  times,  and  under  no  circumstances 
to  shoot  female  or  yearling  animals. 

"5.  No  guide  should  conduct  a  hunting  party  in 
quest  of  game  unless  each  member  of  it  pledged  him- 
self to  observe  the  rules  of  moderation  in  shooting  that 
now  are  morally  binding  upon  all. 

"6.  ,  In  view  of  the  alarming  decrease  of  our  large 
game  animals,  it  is  time  for  the  adoption  throughout 
the  United  States  of  an  unwritten  law  that  any  man 
who  kills  a  female  hoofed  animal  is  not  to  be  considered 
a  true  and  honorable  sportsman. 

"  7.  Every  state  and  territory  containing  large  game 
should  collect  a  license  fee  on  each  gun  carried  or  used 
in  hunting  ;  and  all  funds  derived  from  this  source  and 
from  fines  should  be  used  in  payment  of  the  salaries  of 
game  wardens. 


GAME  PROTECTION  141 

"  8.    The  sale  of  dead  game  should  be  prohibited. 

"  There  are  few  persons,  intelligent  or  otherwise,  who 
will  deny  the  desirability  of  preserving  from  'destruc- 
tion the  splendid  vertebrate  fauna  which  still  inhabits 
our  country.  Throughout  the  whole  United  States, 
the  love  of  natural  history,  and  interest  in  zoological 
studies  —  and  their  promotion  —  is  growing  at  a  rapid 
rate. 

"  If  all  the  people  of  this  country  were  assembled,  and 
a  rising  xvote  taken  on  the  question  —  Are  our  birds 
and  mammals  worth  preserving?  we  believe  nearly 
every  man,  woman  and  child  would  stand  up  to  be 
counted.  Even  the  worst  destroyers  believe  in  limit- 
ing the  destructiveness  of  others !  Thanks  to  the 
extent  of  our  territory,  and  the  diversity  of  its  physical 
aspect,  our  mammalian  and  avian  faunas  are  still  ex- 
ceedingly rich  and  varied,  as  well  as  interesting  and 
valuable.  With  the  exception  of  a  few  noxious 
species,  our  wild  creatures  are  well  worth  preserving, 
and  their  further  annihilation  would  be  nothing  less 
than  a  national  disgrace.  And  even  though  we  of 
to-day  should  feel  little  interest  in  the  preservation  of 
the  animal  life  indigenous  to  North  America,  it  must 
be  remembered  that  we  owe  a  duty  to  succeeding  gener- 
ations, and  we  have  no  right  to  rob  those  who  come 
after  us  of  the  wealth  of  living  forms  that  Nature  has 
so  lavishly  bestowed  upon  this  continent,  and  main- 
tained in  great  abundance  until  fifteen  years  ago.  The 
zoological  estate  now  in  our  possession  is  not  ours  in 
fee  simple,  but  by  inheritance  under  entail  ;  and  it  must 


142  OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS 

be  transmitted  to  those  who  come  after  us,  in  a  good 
state  of  preservation. 

"  Beyond  all  possibility  of  dispute,  the  time  has  now 
arrived  when  it  is  the  duty  of  all  American  zoologists, 
all  our  academies  of  science,  zoological  societies  and 
museums,  and  all  our  higher  institutions  of  learning,  to 
unite  and  become  actively  and  aggressively  interested 
in  comprehensive  measures  for  protection.  In  co-opera- 
tion with  the  Audubon  Society  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  the  American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
through  its  President  and  through  Dr.  J.  A.  Allen  and 
Mr.  Frank  M.  Chapman,  is  already,  and  for  the  past 
year  has  been,  actively  engaged  in  measures  designed 
to  save  our  remaining  birds  from  annihilation.  Dur- 
ing the  last  twelve  months,  the  Audubon  Society  has 
sent  out  35,000  circulars,  and  solicited  active  assistance 
from  over  300  newspapers  in  this  state. 

"It  seems  to  us  that  the  United  States  Biological 
Survey,  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  the  Philadelphia 
Academy  of  Sciences,  the  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  the  New  York  Zoological  Society,  Yale  Uni- 
versity, Harvard  University,  Cornell  University,  the 
Field  Museum  and  the  Leland  Stanford  University, 
each  should  employ  a  competent  man,  provide  him 
with  a  fair  allowance  for  expenses,  and  instruct  him  to 
devote  his  entire  time  and  energy  to  the  business  of 
securing  adequate  protective  laws  throughout  the  whole 
United  States,  and  in  furthering  all  legitimate  measures 
for  the  protection  of  birds  and  mammals.  It  is  reason- 
able to  believe  that  four  good  men  could  enter  the 


GAME  PEOTECTION  143 

Rocky  Mountain  region,  bring  together  the  guides  and 
ranchmen,  and  in  less  than  two  years  accomplish  results 
of  great  and  lasting  benefit. 

"  We  believe  that  the  time  is  ripe  for  a  general  rebel- 
lion against  the  forces  of  destruction.  We  believe  that 
the  American  people  will  yet  rise  to  the  seriousness  of 
the  situation,  and  bring  about  a  complete  revolution  in 
behalf  of  ''the  protection  of  our  native  animals?  which 
is  one  of  the  prime  objects  for  which  the  New  York 
Zoological  Society  was  founded." 


SECTION   VIII 

MISCELLANEOUS  INFORMATION 

I.  MAGAZINES 

1.  Recreation.    Published  by  G.  O.  Shields,  19  West  Twenty- 
fourth  street,  New  York.    $1.00  a  year.    Monthly.     The  organ  of 
the  League  of  American  Sportsmen.     On  the  work  and  present 
status  of  the  League,  see  Recreation,  April,  1899,  and  succeeding 
numbers. 

2.  Bird  Lore.     Published  by  The  Macmillan  Company,  66  Fifth 
avenue,  New  York.    $1.00  a  year.     Bi-monthly.     The  magazine  is 
devoted  to  Bird  Protection   and  is  the   organ   of  The   Audubon 
Societies. 

3.  The  Auk.    Published  by  L.   S.   Foster,   New  York    City. 
Quarterly.     The  organ  of   The  American  Ornithologists'  Union. 
See  the  report  of  a  Committee  on  Bird  Protection  in  the  January 
number  of  1898. 

4.  Forest  and  Stream,   New  York  City.     Weekly.     A   paper 
valuable  alike  to  the  sportsman  and  the  naturalist.     See  an  inter- 
esting report  in  Forest  and  Stream  of  February  19,  1898,  on  the 
Interstate  Game  Wardens'  Convention  held  at  Chicago  in  Febru- 
ary, 1898. 

5.  The  Forester.    Published  by  The  American  Forestry  Asso- 
ciation, 45  Wyatt  Building,  Washington,  D.  C.    Monthly.    $1.00 
a  year.     The  magazine  is  devoted  to  the  care  and  use  of  forests, 
forest  trees  and  related  subjects.    It  is  a  very  valuable  magazine, 
which  ought  to  be  in  every  public  and  in  every  school  library. 
See  Volume  IV,  1898,  for  a  large  number  of  interesting  and  instruc- 
tive articles. 

144 


MISCELLANEOUS  INFORMATION  145 

6.  Our  Animal  Friends.     Published  by  the  American  Society 
for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals,  Madison  avenue  and 
Twenty-sixth  street,  New  York. 

7.  Our  Dumb  Animals.     Published  by  the  Massachusetts  So- 
ciety for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals,  19  Milk  street, 
Boston,  Mass.     The  paper  is  also  the  organ  of  the  American  Hu- 
mane Education  Society  and  of  the  American  Bands  of  Mercy. 

8.  The  National  Humane  Educator,  216  West  Fourth  street, 
Cincinnati,  O. 

Most  of  these  magazines  will  mail  a  free  sample  copy. 

n.  SOCIETIES 

1.  The   Audubon   Societies.      See   page   93.      Correspondence 
in  regard  to  forming  Audubon  Societies  or  other  Bird  Protective 
Societies  may  be  addressed  to  Mrs.  Mabel  Osgood  Wright,  Fair- 
field,  Conn. 

2.  The  League  of  American  Sportsmen.     See  pages  132-135. 

3.  The  Agassiz  Association.     For  full   information  write   to 
Mr.  H.  H.  Ballard,  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  or  see  the  Handbook  of  the 
Agassiz  Association. 

4.  Society  for  the  Protection  of  Birds.     Mrs.  F.  E.  Lemon, 
Secretary,  Hillcrest,  Redhill,  England.     Publishing  Department, 
326  High  Holborn,  W.  C.,  England. 

5.  Bund  der  Vogelfreunde,  Graz,  Austria. 

6.  American  Humane   Education   Society.      Geo.   P.   Angell, 
President,  19  Milk  street,  Boston,  Mass. 

7.  Bands  of  Mercy,  Geo.  P.  Angell,  President,  19  Milk  street, 
Boston,  Mass.      These  bands  have   been   organized   among  the 
school  children  of  many  cities,  towns,  and  country  districts. 

8.  The  Societies  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals  and 
the  Humane  Societies. 

Besides  the  general  humane   work   done   by  them, 
some  of  these  societies  have  done  very  effective  work 


146  OUR   NATIVE  BIRDS 

in  bird  protection.     The  society  of  St.   Paul,  Minn., 
has  posted  hundreds  of  the  following  placard :  — 

"$5.00  REWARD 

For  information  which  will  lead  to  the  arrest  and  conviction  of 
any  person  killing  or  attempting  to  kill  any  harmless  birds,  or 
robbing  or  destroying  the  nests  thereof.  Boys  with  rubber  slings 
or  pop-guns  are  hereby  warned. 

HUMANE  SOCIETY, 

W.  L.  WILSON,  President. 
Miss  ANNA  V.  WRIGHT,  Secretary. 
Chamber  of  Commerce  Building." 

In  Our  Dumb  Animals  of  August,  1899,  is  found  the 
following  offer :  — 

"PROTECTION  OF  BIRDS 

I  hereby  offer  twenty  prizes  of  $10  each,  and  forty  prizes  of  $5 
each,  for  evidence  by  which  our  Massachusetts  Society  for  the 
Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals  shall  convict  persons  of  violating 
the  laws  of  Massachusetts  by  killing  any  insect-eating  bird  or 
taking  eggs  from  its  nest. 

GEO.  T.  ANGELL,  President." 

I  enclose  a  list  of  the  most  important  of  these  socie- 
ties in  the  United  States  and  Canada.  In  many  states 
a  number  of  local  societies  are  organized.  For  these 
and  for  information  about  similar  societies  in  foreign 
countries  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  report  of  1899  of 
the  American  Society  P.  C.  A.,  Madison  avenue  and 
Twenty-sixth  street,  New  York.  The  list  here  given 
is  taken  from  that  report.  Concerning  the  organization 
and  the  work  of  local  societies,  information  can  be  ob- 
tained from  the  respective  state  society. 


MISCELLANEOUS  INFORMATION  147 


HUMANE  SOCIETIES  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  AND  CANADA 


YORK.  The  American  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty 
to  Animals.  Madison  avenue  and  Twenty-sixth  street,  New  York. 

ALABAMA.  Mobile  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to 
Animals.  16  South  Royal  street,  Mobile. 

ARIZONA.  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals. 
Tucson. 

ARKANSAS.    Humane  Society.    Little  Rock. 

CALIFORNIA.  The  San  Francisco  Society  for  the  Prevention  of 
Cruelty  to  Animals.  403  Parrott  Building,  San  Francisco. 

COLORADO.  Colorado  Humane  Society.  5  Jacobson  Building, 
Denver. 

CONNECTICUT.     The  Connecticut  Humane  Society.     Hartford. 

DELAWARE.  Delaware  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to 
Animals.  606  Market  street,  Wilmington. 

DISTRICT  OF  COLUMBIA.  The  Washington  Humane  Society. 
Room  10,  Sun  Building,  Washington,  D.  C. 

FLORIDA.     St.  Augustine  Humane  Society.     St.  Augustine. 

GEORGIA.  Georgia  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to 
Animals.  1  Mclntosh  street,  Augusta. 

ILLINOIS.  The  Illinois  Humane  Society.  560  Wabash  avenue, 
Chicago. 

INDIANA.  The  Indiana  Humane  Society.  42  Lombard  Build- 
ing, Indianapolis. 

IOWA.    The  Iowa  Humane  Society.    Des  Moines. 

KANSAS.     The  Kansas  Humane  Society.    Wichita. 

KENTUCKY.  Kentucky  Humane  Society  for  Prevention  of 
Cruelty.  Masonic  Temple,  411  West  Green  street,  Louisville. 

LOUISIANA.  Louisiana  State  Society  for  Prevention  of  Cruelty 
to  Animals.  606  Commercial  place,  New  Orleans. 

MAINE.  Maine  State  Society  for  the  Protection  of  Animals. 
Portland. 

MARYLAND.  The  Maryland  Society  for  the  Prevention  of 
Cruelty  to  Animals.  323  North  Charles  street,  Baltimore. 


148  OUR   NATIVE  BIRDS 

MASSACHUSETTS.  The  Massachusetts  Society  for  the  Preven- 
tion of  Cruelty  to  Animals.  19  Milk  street,  Boston. 

MICHIGAN.  Michigan  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to 
Animals.  Detroit. 

MINNESOTA.  St.  Paul  Society  for  Prevention  of  Cruelty. 
Chamber  of  Commerce  Building,  St.  Paul. 

MISSISSIPPI.  The  Mississippi  Society  for  the  Prevention  of 
Cruelty  to  Animals.  Natchez. 

MISSOURI.  The  Humane  Society  of  Missouri.  506  and  508 
Columbia  Building,  Eighth  and  Locust  streets,  St.  Louis. 

NEBRASKA.  The  Nebraska  Humane  Society.  15  Commercial 
National  Bank  Building,  Omaha. 

NEW  HAMPSHIRE.  New  Hampshire  Society  for  the  Prevention 
of  Cruelty  to  Animals.  1  Market  street,  Portsmouth. 

NEW  JERSEY.  The  New  Jersey  Society  for  the  Prevention  of 
Cruelty  to  Animals.  507  Prudential  Building,  Newark. 

NEW  YORK.  The  Mohawk  and  Hudson  River  Humane  Society. 
287  State  street,  Albany. 

NORTH  CAROLINA.  The  North  Carolina  Society  for  the  Pre- 
vention of  Cruelty  to  Animals.  17  Paragon  Building,  Ashville. 

OHIO.  The  Ohio  Humane  Society.  24  East  Ninth  street,  Cin- 
cinnati. 

OREGON.  The  Oregon  Humane  Society.  72  Third  street, 
Portland. 

PENNSYLVANIA.  The  Pennsylvania  Society  for  the  Prevention 
of  Cruelty  to  Animals.  1627  Chestnut  street,  Philadelphia. 

RHODE  ISLAND.  Rhode  Island  Society  for  the  Prevention  of 
Cruelty  to  Animals.  61  Westminster  street,  Providence. 

SOUTH  CAROLINA.  The  South  Carolina  Society  for  the  Pre- 
vention of  Cruelty  to  Animals.  Charleston. 

TENNESSEE.  Tennessee  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty 
to  Animals  and  Children.  337  Mississippi  avenue,  Memphis. 

TEXAS.  The  Galveston  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty 
to  Animals.  Galveston. 

UTAH.    Utah  Humane  Society.     Salt  Lake  City. 


MISCELLANEOUS   INFORMATION  149 

VERMONT.     The  Vermont  Humane  Society.     Chester. 

VIRGINIA.  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals. 
618  East  Main  street,  Richmond. 

WASHINGTON.  Tacoma  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty 
to  Animals.  Chamber  of  Commerce  Building,  Tacoma. 

WEST  VIRGINIA.  West  Virginia  Society  for  the  Prevention  of 
Cruelty  to  Animals.  WT  heeling. 

WISCONSIN.  The  Wisconsin  Humane  Society.  495  Milwaukee 
street,  Milwaukee. 

BRITISH  NORTH  AMERICA.  The  Nova  Scotia  Society  for  the 
Prevention  of  Cruelty.  79  Granville  street,  Halifax.. 

The  Canadian  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals. 
189  St.  James  street,  Montreal. 

Ottawa  Humane  Society.     83  St.  Peter  street,  Ottawa. 

Quebec  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals. 
Quebec. 

New  Brunswick  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Ani- 
mals. Ferry  Building,  Water  street,  St.  John. 

St.  John's  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals.  St. 
John's,  Newfoundland. 

The  Winnipeg  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals. 
Winnipeg,  Manitoba. 

III.   THE  UNITED  STATES  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE 

This  department  consists  of  the  following  divisions  :  — 
Division  of  Chemistry. 
Division  of  Entomology. 
Division  of  Botany. 

Division  of  Vegetable  Physiology  and  Pathology. 
Division  of  Pomology. 
Biological  Survey. 
Division  of  Soils. 
Office  of  Experiment  Stations. 
Division  of  Forestry. 
Division  of  Agrostology. 


150  OUR   NATIVE   BIRDS 

Office  of  Road  Inquiry. 
Experimental  Gardens  and  Grounds. 
Division  of  Publications. 
The  Library. 

Office  of  Fibre  Investigation. 
Bureau  of  Animal  Industry. 
Division  of  Statistics. 
Section  of  Foreign  Markets. 

The  Superintendent  of  Documents,  Washington,  D.  C.,  furnishes 
free  upon  application: 

1.  A  list  of  publications  for  sale  at  a  nominal  price. 

2.  A  list  of  publications  available  for  free  distribution. 

3.  A  monthly  list  of  new  publications. 

Among  the  most  popular  government  publications  are  the  Farm- 
ers' Bulletins,  a  list  of  which  is  here  given,  but  many  other  valuable 
publications  will  be  found' in  the  three  lists  mentioned. 

FARMERS'  BULLETINS 

These  bulletins  are  sent  free  of  charge  to  any  address  upon  ap- 
plication to  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture,  Washington,  D.  C.  Only 
the  following  are  available  for  distribution :  — 

No.  15.  Some  Destructive  Potato  Diseases :  What  They  Are  and 
How  to  Prevent  Them. 

No.  16.  Leguminous  Plants  for  Green  Manuring  and  for  Feed- 
ing. 

No.  18.  Forage  Plants  for  the  South. 

No.  19.  Important  Insecticides :  Directions  for  Their  Preparation 
and  Use. 

No.  21.   Barnyard  Manure. 

No.  22.   Feeding  Farm  Animals. 

No.  23.   Foods :  Nutritive  Value  and  Cost. 

No.  24.   Hog  Cholera  and  Swine  Plague. 

No.  25.   Peanuts:  Culture  and  Uses. 

No.  26.   Sweet  Potatoes :  Culture  and  Uses. 


MISCELLANEOUS   INFORMATION  151 

No.  27.  Flax  for  Seed  and  Fiber. 

No.  28.  Weeds:  And  How  to  Kill  Them. 

No.  29.  Souring  of  Milk,  and  Other  Changes  in  Milk  Products. 

No.  30.  Grape  Diseases  on  the  Pacific  Coast. 

No.  31.  Alfalfa,  or  Lucern. 

No.  32.  Silos  and  Silage. 

No.  33.  Peach  Growing  for  Market. 

No.  34.  Meats :  Composition  and  Cooking. 

No.  35.  Potato  Culture. 

No.  36.  Cotton  Seed  and  Its  Products. 

No.  37.  Kafir  Corn :  Characteristics,  Culture,  and  Uses. 

No.  38.  Spraying  for  Fruit  Diseases. 

No.  39.  Onion  Culture. 

No.  40.  Farm  Drainage. 

No.  41.  Fowls:  Care  and  Feeding. 

No.  42.  Facts  About  Milk. 

No.  43.  Sewage  Disposal  on  the  Farm. 

No.  44.  Commercial  Fertilizers. 

No.  45.  Some  Insects  Injurious  to  Stored  Grain. 

No.  46.  Irrigation  in  Humid  Climates. 

No.  47.  Insects  Affecting  the  Cotton  Plant. 

No.  48.  The  Manuring  of  Cotton. 

No.  49.  Sheep  Feeding. 

No.  50.  Sorghum  as  a  Forage  Crop. 

No.  51.  Standard  Varieties  of  Chickens. 

No.  52.  The  Sugar  Beet. 

No.  53.  How  to  Grow  Mushrooms. 

No.  54.  Some  Common  Birds  in  Their  Relation  to  Agriculture. 

No.  55.  The  Dairy  Herd :  Its  Formation  and  Management. 

No.  56.  Experiment  Station  Work.     Vol.  I. 

No.  57.  Butter  Making  on  the  Farm. 

No.  58.  The  Soy  Bean  as  a  Forage  Crop. 

No.  59.  Bee  Keeping. 

No.  60.  Methods  of  Curing  Tobacco. 

No.  61.  Asparagus  Culture. 


152  OUR   NATIVE  BIRDS 

No.  62.   Marketing  Farm  Produce. 

No.  63.   Care  of  Milk  on  the  Farm. 

No.  64.  Ducks  and  Geese. 

No.  65.   Experiment  Station  Work.    Vol.  II. 

No.  66.  Meadows  and  Pastures. 

No.  67.   Forestry  for  Farmers. 

No.  68.   The  Black  Rot  of  the  Cabbage. 

No.  69.   Experiment  Station  Work.     Vol.  III. 

No.  70.   The  Principal  Insect  Enemies  of  the  Grape. 

No.  71.   Some  Essentials  of  Beef  Production. 

No.  72.   Cattle  Ranges  in  the  Southwest. 

No.  73.   Experiment  Station  Work.     Vol.  IV. 

No.  74.  Milk  as  Food. 

No.  75.   The  Grain  Smuts. 

No.  76.   Tomato  Growing. 

No.  77.   The  Liming  of  Soils. 

No.  78.   Experiment  Station  Work.     Vol.  V. 

No.  79.   Experiment  Station  Work.    Vol.  VI. 

No.  80.   The  Peach  Twig-borer ;  an  Important  Enemy  of  Stone 

Fruits. 

No.  81.   Corn  Culture  in  the  South. 
No.  82.  The  Culture  of  Tobacco. 
No.  83.   Tobacco  Soils. 

No.  84.   Experiment  Station  Work.    Vol.  VTL 
No.  85.   Fish  as  Food. 
No.  86.    Thirty  Poisonous  Plants. 
No.  87.   Experiment  Station  Work.     Vol.  VHI. 
No.  88.   Alkali  Lands. 
No.  89.   Cowpeas. 

No.  90.   The  Manufacture  of  Sorghum  Sirup. 
No.  91.   Potato  Diseases  and  Their  Treatment. 
No.  93.   Sugar  as  Food. 
No.  94.   The  Vegetable  Garden. 
No.  95.   Good  Roads  for  Farmers. 
No.  96.   Raising  Sheep  for  Mutton. 


MISCELLANEOUS   INFORMATION 


153 


No.  97.   Experiment  Station  Work.     Vol.  X. 
No.  98.   Suggestions  to  Southern  Farmers. 
No.  99.    Three  Insect  Enemies  of  Shade  Trees. 

TV.  AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATIONS 

These  stations  are  now  scattered  over  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  and  similar  stations  have  long  been  established  in  Europe 
and  elsewhere.  They  have  published  much  that  is  of  interest  to  in- 
telligent citizens,  and  will  do  more  in  the  near  future.  Their  publi- 
cations generally  refer  to  special  sections  of  the  country,  and  are 
particularly  valuable  for  those  sections. 

LIST  OF  AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATIONS  IN  THE 
UNITED  STATES  AND  CANADA  l 

(Address  mail  to  them  in  the  following  manner:  Agricultural 
Experiment  Station,  St.  Anthony  Park,  Minn.). 


UNITED  STATES 


STATE. 

POST-OFFICE. 

STATE. 

POST-OFFICE. 

Alabama  (College)     . 
Alabama 
(Canebrake)  .    .    . 

Auburn. 

Uniontown. 
Tucson. 

Connecticut  (State)  . 
Connecticut  (Storrs) 
Delaware     .... 
Florida   

New  Haven. 
Storrs. 
Newark. 
Lake  City. 

Arkansas      .... 

Fayetteville 

Georgia 

Experiment  . 

California     .... 

Berkeley. 

Idaho  

Moscow. 

Colorado  .... 

Fort  Collins 

Illinois              .     .     . 

Urbana. 

1  A  list  of  publications  issued  by  the  stations  of  the  United  States  prior 
to  January  1, 1892,  was  published  in  the  Experiment  Station  Record,  Vol. 
Ill,  p.  937 ;  a  list  of  those  issued  during  1892  and  1893  in  Bulletin  19  of  the 
Office  of  Experiment  Stations,  p.  61 ;  a  list  of  those  issued  during  1894  in 
Bulletin  23,  p.  58;  a  list  of  those  issued  for  1895  in  Bulletin  27,  p.  59;  a  list 
of  those  issued  for  1896  in  Bulletin  39,  p.  58,  and  a  list  of  those  issued  for 
1897  in  Bulletin  47,  p.  57.  For  more  information  on  these  stations  in  the 
United  States  and  other  countries,  see  Bulletin  59,  office  of  Experiment 
Stations. 


154 


OUR   NATIVE   BIRDS 
UNITED  STATES—  Concluded 


STATE. 

POST-OFFICE. 

STATE. 

POST-OFFICE. 

Indiana     

Lafayette. 

New  Mexico 

Mesilla  Park 

Iowa         •         . 

Ames 

New  York  (State) 

Kansas     

Manhattan  . 

New  York  (Cornell) 

Ithaca 

Kentucky      .... 
Louisiana  (Sugar) 
Louisiana  (State)  .    . 

Lexington. 
New  Orleans. 
Baton  Rouge. 

North  Carolina     .    . 
North  Dakota  .    .     . 
Ohio    

Raleigh. 
Fargo. 
Wooster. 

Louisiana  (North) 
Maine  

Calhoun. 
Orono. 

Oklahoma  .... 
Oregon    

Stillwater. 
Corvallis. 

Maryland      .... 
Massachusetts  (State) 
Massachusetts  (Hatch) 
Michigan  

Minnesota     .... 

College  Park. 
Amherst. 
Amherst. 
Agricultural 
College. 
St.  Anthony 
Park. 

Pennsylvania  .    .    . 
Rhode  Island  .     .     . 
South  Carolina    .     . 

South  Dakota  .    .    . 
Tennessee    .... 
Texas      

State  College. 
Kingston. 
Clemson 
College. 
Brookings. 
Knoxville. 
College 

Mississippi    .... 

Agricultural 
College. 

Utah  

Station. 
Logan. 

Missouri   

Columbia. 

Vermont 

Burlington 

Montana 

Bozeman 

Blacksburg 

Nebraska      .... 

Lincoln. 

Washington 

Pullman 

Reno. 

West  Virginia  .    .    . 

Morgantown. 

New  Hampshire    .    . 
New  Jersey  (State)    . 

Durham. 
New 
Brunswick. 

Wisconsin   .... 
Wyoming    .... 

Madison. 
Laramie. 

CANADA. 


PROVINCE. 

POST-OFFICE. 

PROVINCE. 

POST-OFFICE. 

Manitoba 

Brandon. 

Nova  Scotia  .... 

Nappan  . 

N  W  Territory 

Indian  Head 

Ontario 

Ottawa 

British  Columbia  .    . 

Agassiz. 

MISCELLANEOUS   INFORMATION  155 

A  FEW  BIRD  BOOKS  HELPFUL  TO  THE  BEGINNER 

1.  Wright.     Birdcraft.     The  Macmillan  Company,  New  York. 

2.  Merriam.     Birds  of  Village  and  Field.     Houghton,  Mifflin  & 

Company,  Boston,  Mass. 

3.  Grant.     Our  Common  Birds  and  How  to  Know  Them.     Charles 

Scribner's  Sons,  New  York. 

4.  Blanchan.     Bird  Neighbors.     Doubleday   &  McClure    Co.,    of 

New  York. 

5.  Blanchan.     Birds  that  Hunt  and  are  Hunted.     Doubleday   & 

McClure  Co.,  of  New  York. 

6.  Wright.     Citizen  Bird.     The  Macmillan  Company,  New  York. 

7.  Baskett.     The  Story  of  the  Birds.     D.  Appleton  &  Company, 

New  York. 

8.  Jordan.     Manual  of  the  Vertebrates.     A.  C.  McClurg  &  Com- 

pany, Chicago.  This  book  gives  keys  and  brief  descrip- 
tions of  all  vertebrates  known  in  the  Northern  United 
States.  For  other  valuable  but  more  expensive  books 
on  birds,  see  the  catalogues  and  advertisements  of 
publishers. 


156  OUR   NATIVE  BIRDS 


GOD  made  the  country,  and  man  made  the  town ; 
What  wonder,  then,  that  health  and  virtue,  gifts 
That  can  alone  make  sweet  the  bitter  draught 
That  life  holds  out  to  all,  should  most  abound 
And  least  be  threatened  in  the  fields  and  groves. 

WILLIAM  COWPER. 


INDEX 


[Binomials  are  indexed  twice.  Publications  mentioned  in  the  text  are  indexed  under 
author  and  title,  except  those  mentioned  in  foot-notes  and  under  "  Miscellaneous 
Information,"  which  are  not  indexed.] 


A  boy  (verse),  107. 

Adults,  educating,  92. 

Agricultural    experiment    stations, 

"  153. 

Agriculture,  United  States  depart- 
ment of,  149. 

Attracting  song  birds  to  our  homes, 
19. 

Audubon  societies,  directory  of,  93. 


Bailey.    The  Birds  and  I,  40. 

Baltimore  oriole  (verses) ,  119. 

Barb  wire  coil,  tree  trunk  with 
(figure),  36. 

Basin,  floating  bird  (figure),  45. 

Basins,  bathing  and  drinking,  con- 
struction of,  43 ;  floating,  44. 

Bathing  fountains,  42. 

Baths,  dust,  62. 

Bird  and  arbor  day  law  of  Minne- 
sota, 94. 

Bird  basin,  floating  (figure),  45. 

Bird  books,  155. 

Bird  census,  difficult  to  take,  5. 

Bird  census  of  the  United  States,  1 ; 
compiled  by  W.  T.  Hornaday,  1. 

Bird  day  in  the  schools,  98. 

Bird  hunters,  85. 

Bird  island  at  Giessen,  29. 

Bird  Life,  cause  of  decrease  in,  Hor- 
naday's  report,  11. 

Bird  Protection,  Wild.  Masefield,  40. 

Bird  students,  boys,  and  collectors, 
8. 


Birds  and  mammals,  injurious,  10. 

Birds  and  mammals  extinct  or  be- 
coming extinct,  Hornaday's  report, 
136. 

Birds  before  Uncle  Sam,  99-122. 

Bird's  Christmas  tree  (figure),  57. 

Birds,  are  the,  decreasing,  1 ;  con- 
clusions regarding,  Hornaday's 
report,  122;  decrease  of,  in  per 
cent,  2 ;  education  and  the,  92 ;  es- 
timate of,  for  Minnesota,  3 ;  feed- 
ing house  for  (figure) ,  60 ;  feeding 
in  public  parks,  61 ;  feeding  in 
winter,  46-61 ;  game,  the  decrease 
of,  13 ;  list  of,  from  Brattleboro, 
Vt.,  53-55 ;  list  of,  from  Cheyenne, 
Wy.,  79,  80;  on  hats,  9,  81;  pro- 
tecting the,  against  cats,  64-67; 
protecting  the,  from  their  natural 
enemies,  64 ;  recommendations  re- 
garding, Hornaday's  report,  123; 
tree  planting  for,  general  sugges- 
tions on,  28. 

Birds,  song,  as  food,  90;  causes  for 
the  decrease  of,  6  ;  protecting 
them,  etc.,  19. 

Birds,  The,  and  I.    Bailey,  40. 

Bittersweet,  false  (figure),  23. 

Black  stork  of  Europe,  16. 

Bluebirds,  nesting  boxes  for,  37; 
(verse),  111. 

Blue  heron,  great  (verses),  113. 

Blue  jay  (verses),  117. 

Blue-winged  or  green-winged  teal 
(verse),  104. 

Boards,  elevated,  58. 

Bobolink  (verses),  115. 


157 


158 


INDEX 


Bond,  Frank,  on  fighting  the  Eng- 
lish sparrow,  75-77. 

Books,  bird,  155. 

Borggreve.  Die  Vogelschutzfrage, 
63. 

Botany,  Manual  of.  Coulter,  22; 
Gray,  22. 

Botany  of  California.  Whitney  and 
Watson,  22. 

Boxes,  nesting  ;  provide,  33. 

Boy,  a  (verse),  107. 

Boys,  collectors,  and  so-called  bird 
students,  8. 

Bracket  shelves  for  swallows,  38. 

Branching,  species  with  copious,  24. 

Britton  and  Brown.  Illustrated 
Flora,  22. 

Brown,  Britton  and.  Illustrated 
Flora,  22. 

Brown  thrasher  (verse) ,  107. 

Buck,  Parson  and.  The  Wild  Flow- 
ers of  California,  22. 

Bulletins,  farmers',  150. 

Burning-bush  (figure),  31. 


California,  Botany  of.  Whitney  and 
Watson,  22 ;  The  Wild  Flowers  of. 
Parson  and  Buck,  22. 

Camera,  hunting  with  a,  131. 

Canary,  wild  (verses) ,  109. 

Carrion  places,  59. 

Catbird  (verses),  109. 

Cat-proof  fence  (figure) ,  67. 

Cats  causing  decrease  of  birds,  8. 

Cats,  protecting  birds  against,  64-67. 

Causes  for  the  decrease  of  song 
birds,  6. 

Causes  of  decrease  in  bird  life, 
Hornaday's  report,  11. 

Cedar,  red ;  burning-bush  and  (fig- 
ure), 31. 

Census,  bird  ;  difficult  to  take,  5 ;  of 
the  United  States,  1. 

Chapman.  Flora  of  the  Southern 
United  States,  22. 

Cheyenne,  Wy.,  list  of  birds  from, 
79,80. 


Chickadee,  child  and  (verses) ,  120. 

Chickadees,  nesting  boxes  for,  36. 

Child  and  chickadee  (verses) ,  120. 

Chipmunks,  squirrels  aod,  68. 

Chippie  (verses),  113. 

Christmas  tree,  birds'  (figure),  57. 

Coil,  tarred  rope,  66. 

Collectors,  84. 

Collectors,  boys,  and  so-called  bird 
students,  8. 

Concluding  remarks  on  nesting 
boxes,  40. 

Conclusions  regarding  birds,  Horna- 
day's report,  122. 

Conclusions  regarding  Western 
mammals,  Hornaday's  report, 
138. 

Construction  of  bathing  and  drink- 
ing basins,  43. 

Copious  branching,  species  with,  24. 

Coulter.    Manual  of  Botany,  22. 

Creepers,  nesting  boxes  for,  37. 

Crows,  70. 

D 

Dana,  Mrs.   How  to  know  the  Wild 

Flowers,  22. 
Davenport,  Mrs.    Elizabeth   B,   on 

feeding  birds  in  winter,  46-53. 
Decrease,  causes  of  ;   in  bird  life, 

Hornaday's  report,  11. 
Decrease  of  birds,  per  cent  of,  2. 
Decrease  of  game  birds,  the,  13. 
Decrease  of  song  birds,  causes  for 

the,  6. 

Dense  foliage  and  fruit,  species  of- 
fering, 26. 

Dense  foliage,  species  with,  24. 
Department  of  agriculture,  149. 
Desirable  species;  on  account  of 

fruit,  25. 
Directions,     general,     for     nesting 

boxes,  33. 
Directory    of    Audubon    societies, 

93,94. 
Dogs,  67. 
Drinking  and  bathing  fountains, 

42. 
Duck,  wood ;  nesting  boxes  for,  39. 


INDEX 


159 


Ducks,  wild  (verses) ,  118. 
Dust  baths,  62. 

E 

Educating  adults,  92. 

Educating  the  growing  generation, 

96. 

Education  and  the  birds,  92. 
Elevated  boards,  58. 
Enemies,    natural,    protecting    the 

birds  from  their,  64. 
English  sparrow,  the,  9. 
English  sparrow  kept  in  check  at 

Cheyenne,  Wy.,  75-79. 
English  sparrow  question,  72-79. 
English  sparrow  (verses),  111. 
Estimate  of  birds  for  Minnesota,  3. 
Europe,  black  stork  of,  16. 
Evening  grosbeaks  eating  snow,  43. 
Evergreens,  planting  of,  20. 
Experiment   stations,    agricultural, 

153. 


False  bittersweet  (figure),  23. 

Farmers'  bulletins,  150. 

Feeding  birds  in  public  parks,  61. 

Feeding  birds  in  winter,  46-61. 

Feeding  house  for  birds  (figure) ,  60. 

Feeding  partridges,  59. 

Feeding-places,  special,  58. 

Feeding  prairie  chickens,  59. 

Feeding  quail,  59. 

Feeding  ruffed  grouse,  59. 

Fence,  cat-proof  (figure),  67. 

Fence  of  wire  netting,  65. 

Field  places,  58. 

Fish  and  hunt,  is  it  right  to,  126. 

Floating  basins,  44. 

Floating  bird  basin  (figure) ,  45. 

Flora,  Illustrated.  JBritton  and 
Brown,  22. 

Flora  of  the  Southern  United  States. 
Chapman,  22. 

Flowers  for  hummingbirds,  27. 

Flowers,  Wild,  How  to  know  the. 
Mrs.  Dana,  22 ;  Wild,  of  Califor- 
nia. Parson  and  Buck,  22. 

Flycatchers,  shelf  and  laths  for,  38. 


Foliage,  dense,  and  fruit,  species 
offering,  26;  species  with  dense, 
24. 

Food,  song  birds  as,  90;  the  lack  of, 
9. 

Fountains,  drinking  and  bathing,  42. 

Foxes,  68. 

Fruit,  species  desirable  on  account 
of,  25. 

Fruit  and  dense  foliage,  species  offer- 
ing, 26. 

Fruit  that  ripens  in  summer  or 
autumn,  25. 

Fruit  that  ripens  late  in  autumn,  25. 

Furnishing  trees,  vines,  and  shrubs, 
19. 

Futterplatze  fur  Vogel  im  Winter. 
Liebe,  63. 

G 

Game  birds,  the  decrease  of,  13. 
Game  protection   from  the  nature 

lover's  point  of  view,  126. 
Garten  vb'gel,     Unsere     niitzlichen. 

Kobelt,  40. 
General  directions  for  nesting  boxes, 

33. 
General  suggestions  on  tree  planting 

for  birds,  28. 
Generation,  educating  the  growing, 

96. 

Giessen,  bird  island  at,  29. 
Gravel,  63. 

Gray.  Manual  of  Botany,  22. 
Great  blue  heron  (verses) ,  113. 
Green-winged  teal,  blue-winged  or 

(verse),  104. 

Grosbeak,  rose-breasted  (verse) ,  104. 
Grosbeaks,  evening,  eating  snow,  43. 
Growing  generation,  educating  the, 

96. 
Gunners,  ubiquitous,  87. 


Hats,  birds  on,  9,  81. 
Hawks,  68. 

Heron,    great    blue    (verses),    113; 
snowy  (verses),  103. 


160 


INDEX 


Homes,  our,  attracting  birds  to,  19. 

Hornaday's  report,  causes  for  de- 
crease in  bird  life,  11 ;  conclusions 
regarding  birds,  122;  conclusion 
regarding  Western  mammals,  138 ; 
per  cent  of  decrease  in  bird  life,  2 ; 
questions  sent  out,  1 ;  recommen- 
dations regarding  birds,  123 ;  rec- 
ommendations regarding  Western 
mammals,  139 ;  species  reported  as 
extinct  or  becoming  extinct,  136. 

House,  feeding;  for  birds  (figure), 
60. 

House  sparrow,  injury  caused  by,  76. 

Humane  Societies  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada,  directory  of, 
147. 

Hummingbird  (verses),  108. 

Hummingbirds,  flowers  for,  27. 

Hunt  and  fish,  is  it  right  to,  126. 

Hunting  with  a  camera,  131. 


Illustrated  Flora.  Britton  and 
Brown,  22. 

Information,  miscellaneous,  144. 

Injurious  birds  and  mammals,  10. 

Injury  caused  by  the  house  sparrow, 
76. 

Is  it  right  to  hunt  and  fish  ?  126. 

Island,  bird;  at  Giessen,  29. 

Islands,  groves,  parks,  and  woods, 
commemorative  of  noted  ornithol- 
ogists, 95. 


Jay,  blue  (verses),  117. 
Jays,  70. 


Kobelt.    Schutz  den  Vogeln,  40. 


Lack  of  food,  the,  9. 

Lack  of  nesting  places,  6. 

Lack  of  water,  7. 

Lake,  Loon ;  in  Minnesota,  13. 


Lark,  meadow  (verses),  118. 
League    of     American    Sportsmen, 

Constitution,   extract    from,  133; 

directory  of  officers,  134;  purpose 

and  principles  of,  132. 
Liebe.    Futterplatze  fur  Vogel  im 

Winter,  63. 

Liebe.    Nistkasten  fur  Vogel,  40. 
Lime,  63. 
List  of  birds  from  Brattleboro,  Vt., 

53. 
List  of  birds  from  Cheyenne,  Wy., 

79. 
Loon  Lake  in  Minnesota,  13. 


M 

Magazines,  144. 

Mammals,  injurious  birds  and,  10; 
recommendations  regarding,  Horn- 
aday's report,  139. 

Mammals  and  birds  extinct,  or  be- 
coming extinct,  Hornaday's  re- 
port, 136. 

Martin,  purple,  nesting  boxes  for, 
38. 

Masefteld.   Wild  Bird  Protection,  40. 

Material,  nesting,  62. 

Meadow  lark  (verses) ,  118. 

Minks,  68. 

Minnesota,  6ird  and  arbor  day  law 
of,  94;  estimate  of  birds  for,  3; 
Loon  Lake  in,  13. 

Miscellaneous,  62. 

Miscellaneous  information,  144. 

Mockingbird  (verses),  101. 


N 

Natural  enemies,  protecting  the 
birds  from  their,  64. 

Nature,  rural  schools  and,  30. 

Nature  lover's  point  of  view,  game 
protection  from,  126. 

Nesting  boxes,  concluding  remarks 
on,  40;  for  bluebirds,  37;  chicka- 
dees, 36;  creepers,  37;  flycatchers, 
38 ;  nuthatches,  37 ;  small  owls, 
38 ;  swallows,  38 ;  the  purple  mar- 


INDEX 


161 


tin,  38;  the  wood  duck,  39;  tit- 
mice, 36 ;  woodpeckers,  37 ;  wrens, 
36 ;  provide,  33. 

Nesting  material,  62. 

Nesting  places,  lack  of,  6. 

Netting,  wire;  cut  on  the  bias,  66; 
fence  of ,  65. 

Nistkasten  fur  Vogel.    Liebe,  40. 

Noted  ornithologists ;  islands,  groves, 
parks,  and  woods  commemorative 
of,  95. 

Nuthatches,  nesting  boxes  for,  37. 


Officers  of  the  L.  A.  S.,  134. 

Orchard  Oriole  (verse),  106. 

Oriole,  Baltimore  (verses),  119;  or- 
chard (verse) ,  106. 

Ornithologists,  noted ;  islands,  groves, 
parks,  and  woods  commemorative 
of,  95. 

Our  homes,  attracting  birds  to  them, 
19. 

Owl  (verses),  117. 

Owls,  68 ;  nesting  boxes  for,  38. 


Parks,  public,  feeding  birds  in,  61. 

Parson  and  Buck.  The  Wild  Flow- 
ers of  California,  22. 

Places,  nesting,  lack  of,  6 ;  carrion, 
59;  field,  58;  waste,  30. 

Planting,  time  for,  20;  tree,  for 
birds,  general  suggestions  on,  28. 

Planting  of  evergreens,  20. 

Plant,  what  to,  19. 

Plants,  watering  of,  20. 

Poison,  use  of,  in  farming  and  gar- 
dening, 9. 

Principles,  purpose  and,  of  the  L. 
A.  S.,  132. 

Protecting  birds  against  cats,  64-67. 

Protecting  song  birds,  etc.,  19. 

Protecting  the  birds  from  their  nat- 
ural enemies,  64. 

Protection,  game,  from  the  nature 
lover's  point  of  view,  126. 


Provide  nesting  boxes,  33. 
Public  parks,  feeding  birds  in,  61. 
Purple  martin,  nesting  boxes  for,  38. 
Purpose   and   principles  of    the  L. 
A.  S.,  132. 

Q 

Quail  (verse),  116. 

Question,  the  English  sparrow,  72-79. 


Recommendations  regarding  birds, 
Hornaday's  report,  123. 

Recommendations  regarding  mam- 
mals, Hornaday's  report,  139. 

Redbird,  tanager  and  (verse),  116. 

Red  Cedar,  burning-bush  and  (fig- 
ure) ,  31. 

Red-headed  woodpecker  at  St.  Paul, 
4. 

Remarks,  concluding,  on  nesting 
boxes,  40. 

Right,  is  it,  to  hunt  and  fish,  126. 

Robin  (verses),  108. 

Rope  coil,  tarred,  66. 

Rose-breasted  grosbeak  (verse) ,  104. 

Rural  schools  and  nature,  30. 


S 

Sam,  Uncle,  101,  102,  103,  104,  106, 

107,  121 ;  the  birds  before,  99. 
Schools,  bird  day  in  the,  98 ;  rural, 

and  nature,  30. 

Schutz  den  Vogeln.    Kobelt,  40. 
Shelves,  bracket;  for  swallows,  38. 
Shrubs,  trees,  and  vines ;  furnishing 

them  to  birds,  19. 
Skunks,  68. 

Snowy  heron  (verses) ,  103. 
Societies,  145 ;  humane,  in  the  United 

States  and  Canada,  directory  of, 

147. 
Song  birds,  as  food,  90;  causes  for 

the  decrease  of,  6. 
Source  of  stock,  20. 
Southern  United  States,  Flora  of 

the.     Chapman,  22. 


162 


INDEX 


Sparrow,  English,  9 ;  kept  in  check 
at  Cheyenne,  Wy.,  75-79 ;  (verses) , 
111;  house;  injury  caused  by,  76. 

Sparrow  question,  the  English,  72- 
79. 

Special  feeding-places,  58. 

Species  desirable  on  account  of 
fruit,  25. 

Species  offering  fruit  and  dense  foli- 
age, 26. 

Species  reported  as  extinct,  or  be- 
coming extinct,  Hornaday's  re- 
port, 136. 

Species  with  copious  branching,  24. 

Species  with  dense  foliage,  24. 

Squirrels  and  chipmunks,  68. 

Stock,  source  of,  20. 

St.  Paul,  red-headed  woodpecker 
at,  4. 

Stork,  black ;  of  Europe,  16 ;  white ; 
in  Germany,  15. 

Students,  bird ;  boys  and  collectors,  8. 

Suggestions,  general ;  on  tree  plant- 
ing for  birds,  28. 

Swallows,  bracket  shelves  for,  38; 
(verses),  110. 


Tanager  and  redbird  (verse) ,  116. 

Tarred  rope  coil,  66. 

Teal,  blue-winged  or  green-winged 
(verse),  104. 

Thrasher,  brown  (verse) ,  107. 

Time  for  planting,  20. 

Titmice,  nesting  boxes  for,  36. 

Tree,  birds'  Christmas  (figure) ,  57. 

Tree  planting  for  birds,  general  sug- 
gestions on,  28. 

Tree  trunk  with  barb  wire  coil  (fig- 
ure), 36. 

Trees,  vines,  and  shrubs ;  furnishing 
them  to  birds,  19. 

Twiners,  20. 

U 

Ubiquitous  gunners,  85. 
Uncle  Sam,  101,  102,  103,  104,  106, 
107,  121 ;  the  birds  before,  99. 


Unsere  uiitzlichen  Gartenvogel.  Ko- 
belt,  40. 

Use  of  poison  in  farming  and  gar- 
dening, 9. 


Vines,  trees,  and  shrubs;  furnish- 
ing them  to  birds,  19. 

Vogel,  Nistkasten  fur.    Liebe,  40. 

Vogeln,  Schutz  den.     Kobelt,  40. 

Vogelschutzfrage,  Die.  Borggreve, 
63. 

Voigt.  Unsere  niitzlichen  Garten- 
vogel, 40. 

W 

Waste  places,  30. 

Water,  lack  of,  7. 

Watering  of  plants,  20. 

Watson,  Whitney  and.    Botany  of 

California,  22. 
Weasels,  68. 

Western  mammals,  conclusions  re- 
garding, Hornaday's  report,  138. 
What  to  plant,  19. 
White  stork  in  Germany,  15. 
Whitney  and   Watson.    Botany  of 

California,  22. 

Wild  Bird  Protection.  Masefield,  40. 
Wild  canary  (verses),  109. 
Wild  ducks  (verses),  118. 
Wild  Flowers,  How  to  know  the. 

Mrs.    Dana,    22;    of   California. 

Parson  and  Buck,  22. 
Wild  yam  vine  (figure),  21. 
Winter,  feeding  birds  in,  46-61. 
Wire,  barb,  coil;  tree  trunk  with 

(figure),  36. 
Wire  netting,  cut  on  the  bias,  66 ; 

fence  of,  65. 

Wood  duck,  nesting  boxes  for,  39. 
Woodpecker,     red-headed,    at     St. 

Paul,  4;  (verse),  115. 
Woodpeckers,  nesting  boxes  for,  37. 
Wrens,  nesting  boxes  for,  36. 


Yam  vine,  wild  (figure),  21. 


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ber to  midway  in  May.  The  observations  on  Nature  are  accurate 
and  sympathetic,  and  they  are  interspersed  with  glimpses  of  a 
charming  home  life  and  bits  of  cheerful  philosophy. 

INGERSOLL.  WILD  NEIGHBORS.  OUTDOOR  STUDIES  IN 
THE  UNITED  STATES.  By  Ernest  Ingersoll.  12mo. 
Illustrated,  xii  +  301  pages. 

Studies  and  stories  of  the  gray  squirrel,  the  puma,  the  coyote, 
the  badger,  and  other  burrowers,  the  porcupine,  the  skunk,  the 
woodchuck,  and  the  raccoon. 

INMAN.  THE  RANCH  ON  THE  OXHIDE.  By  Henry  Inman. 
12mo.  Illustrated,  xi  +  297  pages. 

A  story  of  pioneer  life  in  Kansas  in  the  late  sixties.  Adventures 
with  wild  animals  and  skirmishes  with  Indians  add  interest  to  the 
narrative. 

JOHNSON.  CERVANTES'  DON  QUIXOTE.  Edited  by  Clifton 
Johnson.  12mo.  Illustrated,  xxiii  +  398  pages. 

A  well-edited  edition  of  this  classic.  The  one  effort  has  been  to 
bring  the  book  to  readable  proportions  without  excluding  any  really 
essential  incident  or  detail,  and  at  the  same  time  to  make  the  text 
unobjectionable  and  wholesome. 

JUDSON.  THE  GROWTH  OF  THE  AMERICAN  NATION.  By 
Harry  Pratt  Judson.  12mo.  Illustrations  and  maps. 
xi  -f  359  pages. 

The  cardinal  facts  of  American  History  are  grasped  in  such  a 
way  as  to  show  clearly  the  orderly  development  of  national  life. 

KEARY.  THE  HEROES  OF  ASGARD:  TALES  FROM  SCANDI- 
NAVIAN MYTHOLOGY.  By  A.  and  E.  Keary.  12mo. 
Illustrated.  323  pages. 


The  book  is  divided  into  nine  chapters,  called  "The 
"How  Thor  went  to  Jotunheim,"  "  Frey,"  "The  Wanderings  of 
Freyja,"  "  Iduna's  Apples,"  "Baldur,"  "The  Binding  of  Fenrir," 
"The  Punishment  of  Loki,"  "Ragnarok." 


6 

KING.     DE  SOTO  AND  HIS  MEN  IN  THE  LAND  OF  FLORIDA. 

By  Grace  King.     12mo.     Illustrated,     xiv  +  326  pages. 

A  story  based  upon  the  Spanish  and  Portuguese  accounts  of  the 
attempted  conquest  by  the  armada  which  sailed  under  De  So  to  in 
1538  to  subdue  this  country.  Miss  King  gives  a  most  entertain- 
ing history  of  the  invaders'  struggles  and  of  their  final  demoralized 
rout;  while  her  account  of  the  native  tribes  is  a  most  attractive 
feature  of  the  narrative. 

KINGSLEY.  MADAM  HOW  AND  LADY  WHY:  FIRST  LESSONS 
IN  EARTH  LORE  FOR  CHILDREN.  By  Charles  Kingsley. 
12mo.  Illustrated,  xviii+321  pages. 

Madam  How  and  Lady  Why  are  two  fairies  who  teach  the  how 
and  why  of  things  in  nature.  There  are  chapters  on  Earthquakes, 
Volcanoes,  Coral  Reefs,  Glaciers,  etc.,  told  in  an  interesting  man- 
ner. The  book  is  intended  to  lead  children  to  use  their  eyes  and 
ears. 

KINGSLEY.  THE  WATER  BABIES:  A  FAIRY  TALE  FOR  A 
LAND  BABY.  By  Charles  Kingsley.  12mo.  Illustrated. 
330  pages. 

One  of  the  best  children's  stories  ever  written;  it  has  deservedly 
become  a  classic. 

LANGE.  OUR  NATIVE  BIRDS:  HOW  TO  PROTECT  THEM 
AND  ATTRACT  THEM  TO  OUR  HOMES.  By  D.  Lange. 
12mo.  Illustrated,  x  +  162  pages. 

A  strong  plea  for  the  protection  of  birds.  Methods  and  devices 
for  their  encouragement  are  given,  also  a  bibliography  of  helpful 
literature,  and  material  for  Bird  Day. 

LOVELL.  STORIES  IN  STONE  FROM  THE  ROMAN  FORUM. 
By  Isabel  Lovell.  12mo.  Illustrated,  viii  +  258  pages. 

The  eight  stories  in  this  volume  give  many  facts  that  travelers 
wish  to  know,  that  historical  readers  seek,  and  that  young  students 
enjoy.  The  book  puts  the  reader  in  close  touch  with  Roman  life. 

McFARLAND.  GETTING  ACQUAINTED  WITH  THE  TREES. 
By  J.  Horace  Me Farland.  8vo.  Illustrated,  xi-f-  241  pages. 

A  charmingly  written  series  of  tree  essays.  They  are  not 
scientific  but  popular,  and  are  the  outcome  of  the  author's  desire 
that  others  should  share  the  rest  and  comfort  that  have  come  to 
him  through  acquaintance  with  trees. 


MAJOR.     THE   BEARS    OF   BLUE    RIVER.     By  Charles  Major. 

12mo.     Illustrated.     277  pages. 

A  collection  of  good  bear  stories  with  a  live  boy  for  the  hero. 
The  scene  is  laid  in  the  early  days  of  Indiana. 

MARSHALL.  WINIFRED'S  JOURNAL.  By  Emma  Marshall. 
12mo.  Illustrated.  353  pages. 

A  story  of  the  time  of  Charles  the  First.  Some  of  the  characters 
are  historical  personages. 

MEANS.  PALMETTO  STORIES.  By  Celina  E.  Means.  12mo. 
Illustrated,  x  +  244  pages. 

True  accounts  of  some  of  the  men  and  women  who  made  the 
history  of  South  Carolina,  and  correct  pictures  of  the  conditions 
under  which  these  men  and  women  labored. 

MORRIS.  MAN  AND  HIS  ANCESTOR:  A  STUDY  IN  EVOLU- 
TION. By  Charles  Morris.  16mo.  Illustrated,  vii  +  238 
pages. 

A  popular  presentation  of  the  subject  of  man's  origin.  The 
various  significant  facts  that  have  been  discovered  since  Darwin's 
time  are  given,  as  well  as  certain  lines  of  evidence  never  before 
presented  in  this  connection. 

NEWBOLT.  STORIES  FROM  FROISSART.  By  Henry  Newbolt. 
12mo.  Illustrated,  xxxi  +  368  pages. 

Here  are  given  entire  thirteen  episodes  from  the  "Chronicles" 
of  Sir  John  Froissart.  The  text  is  modernized  sufficiently  to  make 
it  intelligible  to  young  readers.  Separated  narratives  are  dove- 
tailed, and  new  translations  have  been  made  where  necessary  to 
make  the  narrative  complete  and  easily  readable. 

OVERTON.  THE  CAPTAIN'S  DAUGHTER.  By  Gwendolen 
Overton.  12mo.  Illustrated,  vii  +  270  pages. 

A  story  of  girl  life  at  an  army  post  on  the  frontier.  The  plot  is 
an  absorbing  one,  and  the  interest  of  the  reader  is  held  to  the  end. 

PALGRAVE.  THE  CHILDREN'S  TREASURY  OF  ENGLISH 
SONG.  Selected  and  arranged  by  Francis  Turner  Palgrave. 
16mo.  viii  +  302  pages. 

This  collection  contains  168  selections  —  songs,  narratives, 
descriptive  or  reflective  pieces  of  a  lyrical  quality,  all  suited  to  the 
taste  and  understanding  of  children. 


8 

PALMER.  STORIES  FROM  THE  CLASSICAL  LITERATURE 
OF  MANY  NATIONS.  Edited  by  Bertha  Palmer.  12mo. 
xv  4-  297  pages. 

A  collection  of  sixty  characteristic  stories  from  Chinese,  Japa- 
nese, Hebrew,  Babylonian,  Arabian,  Hindu,  Greek,  Roman, 
German,  Scandinavian,  Celtic,  Russian,  Italian,  French,  Spanish, 
Portuguese,  Anglo-Saxon,  English,  Finnish,  and  American  Indian 
sources. 

RIIS.  CHILDREN  OF  THE  TENEMENTS.  By  Jacob  A.  Riis. 
12mo.  Illustrated,  ix  +  387  pages. 

Forty  sketches  and  short  stories  dealing  with  the  lights  and 
shadows  of  life  in  the  slums  of  New  York  City,  told  just  as  they 
came  to  the  writer,  fresh  from  the  life  of  the  people. 

SANDYS.  TRAPPER  JIM.  By  Edwyn  Sandys.  12mo.  Illus- 
trated, ix  +  441  pages. 

A  book  which  will  delight  every  normal  boy.  Jim  is  a  city  lad 
who  learns  from  an  older  cousin  all  the  lore  of  outdoor  life  — 
trapping,  shooting,  fishing,  camping,  swimming,  and  canoeing. 
The  author  is  a  well-known  writer  on  outdoor  subjects. 

SEXTON.  STORIES  OF  CALIFORNIA.  By  Ella  M.  Sexton. 
12mo.  Illustrated,  x  +  211  pages. 

Twenty-two  stories  illustrating  the  early  conditions  and  the 
romantic  history  of  California  and  the  subsequent  development 
of  the  state. 

SHARP.  THE  YOUNGEST  GIRL  IN  THE  SCHOOL.  By  Evelyn 
Sharp.  12mo.  Illustrated,  ix  +  326  pages. 

Bab,  the  "  youngest  girl,"  was  only  eleven  and  the  pet  of  five 
brothers.  Her  ups  and  downs  in  a  strange  boarding  school  make 
an  interesting  story. 

SPARKS.  THE  MEN  WHO  MADE  THE  NATION:  AN  OUTLINE 
OF  UNITED  STATES  HISTORY  FROM  1776  TO  1861.  By 

Edwin  E.  Sparks.     12mo.     Illustrated,     viii  +  415  pages. 

The  author  has  chosen  to  tell  our  history  by  selecting  the  one 
man  at  various  periods  of  our  affairs  who  was  master  of  the  situ- 
ation and  about  whom  events  naturally  grouped  themselves. 
The  characters  thus  selected  number  twelve,  as  "Samuel  Adams, 
the  man  of  the  town  meeting"  ;  "Robert  Morris,  the  financier  of 
the  Revolution";  "Hamilton,  the  advocate  of  stronger  govern- 
ment," etc.,  etc. 


9 

THACHER.  THE  LISTENING  CHILD.  A  selection  from  the 
stories  of  English  verse,  made  for  the  youngest  readers  and 
hearers.  By  Lucy  W.  Thacher.  12mo.  xxx  +  408  pages. 

Under  this  title  are  gathered  two  hundred  and  fifty  selections. 
The  arrangement  is  most  intelligent,  as  shown  in  the  proportions 
assigned  to  different  authors  and  periods.  Much  prominence  is 
given  to  purely  imaginative  writers.  The  preliminary  essay,  "A 
Short  Talk  to  Children  about  Poetry, "  is  full  of  suggestion. 

WALLACE.  UNCLE  HENRY'S  LETTERS  TO  THE  FARM 
BOY.  By  Henry  Wallace.  16mo.  ix  +  180  pages. 

Eighteen  letters  on  habits,  education,  business,  recreation,  and 
kindred  subjects. 

WEED.      LIFE     HISTORIES     OF     AMERICAN     INSECTS.      By 

Clarence  Moores  Weed.     12mo.     Illustrated,    xii  +  272  pages. 

In  these  pages  are  described  by  an  enthusiastic  student  of 
entomology  such  changes  as  may  often  be  seen  in  an  insect's 
form,  and  which  mark  the  progress  of  its  life.  He  shows  how  very 
wide  a  field  of  interesting  facts  is  within  reach  of  any  one  who  has 
the  patience  to  collect  these  little  creatures. 

WELLS.  THE  JINGLE  BOOK.  By  Carolyn  Wells.  12mo. 
Illustrated,  viii  +124  pages. 

A  collection  of  fifty  delightful  jingles  and  nonsense  verses.  The 
illustrations  by  Oliver  Herford  do  justice  to  the  text. 

WILSON.     DOMESTIC    SCIENCE   IN   GRAMMAR   GRADES.      A 

Reader.     By  Lucy  L.  W.  Wilson.     12mo.     ix  +  193  pages. 

Descriptions  of  homes  and  household  customs  of  all  ages  and 
countries,  studies  of  materials  and  industries,  glimpses  of  the 
homes  of  literature,  and  articles  on  various  household  subjects. 

WILSON.  HISTORY  READER  FOR  ELEMENTARY  SCHOOLS. 
By  Lucy  L.  W.  Wilson.  16mo.  Illustrated,  xvii  +  403 
pages. 

Stories  grouped  about  the  greatest  men  and  the  most  striking 
events  in  our  country's  history.  The  readings  run  by  months, 
beginning  with  September. 

WILSON.  PICTURE  STUDY  IN  ELEMENTARY  SCHOOLS.  By 
Lucy  L.  W.  Wilson.  12mo.  Illustrated. 


10 

Ninety  half-tone  reproductions  from  celebrated  paintings  both 
old  and  modern,  accompanied  by  appropriate  readings  from  the 
poets.  All  schools  of  art  are  represented. 

WRIGHT.  HEART  OF  NATURE.  By  Mabel  Osgood  Wright. 
12mo.  Illustrated. 

This  volume  comprises  "Stories  of  Plants  and  Animals," 
"Stories  of  Earth  and  Sky,"  and  "Stories  of  Birds  and  Beasts," 
usually  published  in  three  volumes  and  known  as  "The  Heart  of 
Nature  Series."  It  is  a  delightful  combination  of  story  and 
nature  study,  the  author's  name  being  a  sufficient  warrant  for  its 
interest  and  fidelity  to  nature. 

WRIGHT.  FOUR-FOOTED  AMERICANS  AND  THEIR  KIN.  By 
Mabel  Osgood  Wright,  edited  by  Frank  Chapman.  12mo. 
Illustrated,  xv  +  432  pages. 

An  animal  book  in  story  form.  The  scene  shifts  from  farm  to 
woods,  and  back  to  an  old  room,  fitted  as  a  sort  of  winter  camp, 
where  vivid  stories  of  the  birds  and  beasts  which  cannot  be  seen 
at  home  are  told  by  the  campfire,  —  the  sailor  who  has  hunted  the 
sea,  the  woodman,  the  mining  engineer,  and  wandering  scientist, 
each  taking  his  turn.  A  useful  family  tree  of  North  American 
Mammals  is  added. 

WRIGHT.  DOGTOWN.  By  Mabel  Osgood  Wright.  12mo. 
Illustrated,  xiii  +  405  pages. 

"Dogtown"  was  a  neighborhood  so  named  because  so  many 
people  loved  and  kept  dogs.  For  it  is  a  story  of  people  as  well  as 
of  dogs,  and  several  of  the  people  as  well  as  the  dogs  are  old  friends 
having  been  met  in  Mrs.  Wright's  other  books. 

YONGE.  LITTLE  LUCY'S  WONDERFUL  GLOBE.  By  Char- 
lotte M.  Yonge.  12mo.  Illustrated,  xi  +  140  pages. 

An  interesting  and  ingenious  introduction  to  geography.  In 
her  dreams  Lucy  visits  the  children  of  various  lands  and  thus 
learns  much  of  the  habits  and  customs  of  these  countries. 

YONGE.  UNKNOWN  TO  HISTORY.  By  Charlotte  M.  Yonge. 
12mo.  Illustrated,  xi  +  589  pages. 

A  story  of  the  captivity  of  Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  told  in  the 
author's  best  vein. 


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